Hi there,
Iāve gotta say, I knew a second Trump administration would bring about changes, and that there would be people who would retreat and fall in line. What I didnāt expect, though, was to see people in the journalism industry back down ā especially from the commitments they made to antiracist journalism in 2020.
Donāt get me wrong, there are still plenty of folks in the industry doing incredible work to advance a more equitable media ecosystem. But once the dominoes start to fall, the rest quickly follow. Whereas the first Trump administration brought about an energy and motivation to fight back in order to protect marginalized communities, the second seems to be bringing more flight than anything. The āDā-word-that-must-not-be-named (yes Iām talking about diversity) is being eliminated from conversations, diversity, equity and inclusion officers are getting laid off, race and ethnicity desks are disbanding and reshuffling across newsrooms.
Seeing these changes in the journalism industry is the first time Iāve felt truly afraid since the start of the new administration. Itās shocking to say that, considering there have been so many other causes for concern. But hereās the thing: journalism is one of the pillars of democracy. And if journalists start to exhibit fear, thatās a scary sign of how our democracy will begin to crumble.
What brought me a sliver of hope this week, though, was hearing about the student newspaper at Purdue University. In response to Trumpās executive order that would revoke visas for international students who participate in pro-Palestine activism, The Purdue Exponent issued a policy of blanket anonymity for all pro-Palestine student activists, and even went as far as removing all names and photos from their archives.
āThe Exponent, as a member of the press and ā more importantly ā a student publication, refuses to be party to such a blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of potentially hundreds of Purdue students,ā they boldly wrote in an editorial explaining their decision.
I encourage you to read the full editorial. Itās a demonstration of courage and bravery, compassion and care ā which I believe are the key elements to strong, independent, ethical journalism. If a student newspaper could do that, why canāt others?
Marginalized communities are and will continue to be the most vulnerable and impacted by the new administrationās policies. Itās our job, literally, to represent them fully and wholly, and equip them with information and resources to live their best lives with dignity. What if major news outlets exhibited the same courage, care and compassion as The Exponent? I hope to see more newsrooms find ways to report important stories on hot-button issues while protecting sources.
