We’re sharing a portion of The Asterisk, our monthly members-only newsletter, with all 19th readers. In each edition, we go Behind the Asterisk with the 19th team to give our members an exclusive look inside The 19th.

This month’s edition features Errin Haines, The 19th’s editor-at-large. From joining Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic trip to Africa to moderating our first live conversation in New York City to launching her very own newsletter, Errin has already made a major mark this year. She talked to me about the meaning behind her newsletter’s name, the impact she hopes our journalism has a year from now, the advice she has for voters ahead of the 2024 election and more. 

It’s been four months since you launched your newsletter, The Amendment. Congratulations! When I first heard the name, my mind automatically went to, “the 19th Amendment.” After a conversation I had with you recently, I learned that this newsletter’s name goes even beyond that. Could you tell our members a little more about the meaning? 

We’re working hard and having fun, so thank you so much for noticing!

So, you’re right, The Amendment is a nod to the 19th Amendment and an extension of our mission and brand — and it is also more than that. First, I want to shout out our chief people officer, Jayo Miko Macasaquit, for his brilliant idea for the name of this newsletter. His suggestion made me think more broadly about amendments in general and what they mean in our democracy. The amendments that have most directly affected my participation as a citizen have focused on correcting the record, expanding inclusion and perfecting our union. That is what I aim to do with The Amendment. It is meant to be a conversation with my audience about not just who and where we are as a country, but where we have been and where we could go from here.

Last month in an Instagram reel, you said that your newsletter isn’t always necessarily centered around a current event and that sometimes it’s inspired by something that’s on your mind. As a journalist, your mind is sure to be constantly buzzing with various thoughts and questions. So, when do you know when something is meaningful enough to share and drive a conversation with your readers? 

Working at The 19th and frankly, living as a Black woman in America, it’s hard not to see everything through a racial and gender lens, so I literally find column ideas everywhere! So much of my more spontaneous inspiration comes from the people in my networks — friends, family, strangers, sources, social media — that might spark an idea I hope will resonate with the people I write for and about. Whenever I have an idea, I’m not just thinking about the topic itself, but about the thing that I can say that feels distinctive, timely and relevant. I know I’ve landed on something when the newsletter is speaking not just to a current event, but to our current moment. 

This month, we acknowledged the 103rd anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, a landmark piece of legislation that declared voting a right regardless of gender. Since 2020, our newsroom has been telling the stories of the women and LGBTQ+ people in our country who continue to face barriers to voting. What kind of impact do you hope to see our journalism have a year from now, with a presidential election quickly approaching?

I hope that as a news organization, we spend the next year reporting deeply on the issues that voters tell us are defining this campaign. For so many of the people we write for and about, this election is not just consequential — it’s existential. They are living these stories and the policy being enacted at the local, state and federal level. They need us to do journalism that shows them why things are happening, why it matters and how people are getting involved. Political journalism — especially how we want to do it at The 19th —  is not about platforming power; it is about interrogating power; holding power accountable; and explaining the connections between lived experience and power through those who have it, those who want it and those who do not.

In addition to subscribing to your newsletter, what are three other things you would encourage our readers to do between now and November 2024 to be prepared and informed voters?

• Register to vote and encourage others to do the same! I still believe that we are all equal on Election Day and that making our voices heard is one of our greatest privileges as a citizen.
• Make sure you know the particulars of how you can participate in our elections where you live. When does early voting begin? Do you know your precinct? Who is on the ballot? Is there a referendum you can vote on, and do you understand what it says? 
• Don’t forget your local elections! Next year is a presidential election year, but there’s so much more on the ballot. Be informed about the other positions up for election next year, and make sure you vote up and down the ticket!