Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has quickly become one of the media’s biggest obsessions in a very short period of time. Since she was first elected, the right-wing propaganda machine has been seizing onto every little thing she says and does to stoke their fearful aging viewers, engaging in one bad faith after another against her. The GOP is terrified of her because she is offering a hopeful vision of the future in stark contrast to the plutocratic nightmare the Republicans are pushing.
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At the same time, even some of the more moderate and liberal publications sometimes err by digging too much into her personal life instead of focusing on her policies. There is a sort of celebrity fascination with her that too often obfuscates the genuinely good work she is doing for her constituents.
For her part, Ocasio-Cortez has proven more than adept at singlehandedly batting away unfair coverage with wit and grace, so when a story went viral yesterday about her mother hoping she gets married soon — which is to say a topic which is nobody’s business but her own — she responded perfectly.
AOC took to Twitter and pointed out that she’s heard that a Congressperson’s family and love life are “off-limits” but that such courtesy has clearly been “suspended” in her case. She then injected some humor into the message by adding that part of the reason she’s been able to handle the pressure of her new job is that she was the only daughter in a Latino household.
It was a gentle yet clear message: reporters should give a little more thought to what they focus on in their reporting. AOC is a brilliant young politician with a long career ahead of her, her personal life should be seen for what it really is: largely irrelevant.
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You know, when I got to DC I was told that it’s considered “off-limits” to report on a member’s family, love life, etc.
Unsure why that consideration is suspended for me.
(Also for those who ask how I learned to handle pressure,try being the only daughter in a Latino household) https://t.co/M2lgHITz1B
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 5, 2019
