Tara Palmeri, American University alumna and senior political correspondent at the subscription news website Puck, spoke to American University students about the 2024 election campaign and the current state of the journalism field on Oct. 17.
The event was hosted by the Kennedy Political Union, the School of Communication, AU College Democrats, College Republicans of AU and the American Forum. The discussion was moderated by associate professor Jane Hall.
“I’m a journalist because I love to dig into things and kind of feel like the insider getting the story,” Palmeri said.
Hall said students are citing concerns about political topics such as democracy and climate change, and they are curious as to “the role of young people in this election.”
Palmeri said the Biden administration's focus on the idea of restoring democracy was ineffective. Rather, she said most voters are concerned about the economy and immigration, which Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is shifting toward.
“They’re hoping that the young people will come out and vote,” Palmeri said. “But they know it’s not the most reliable demographic.”
Palmeri and Hall discussed the campaign strategies of both political opponents, specifically how former President Donald Trump is gearing his attention towards young men, while Harris is focused on young women. Despite this, Palmeri and Hall credited Harris with shifting her focus towards independents and toughening up on immigration policy.
“She’s gotten much tougher on the border, and she’s saying, ‘I want to pass the bill that Donald Trump tried to stop from being passed in the Senate,’” Palmeri said, quoting Harris.
Trump encouraged Republicans in Congress to kill a bipartisan immigration and border bill, which would have hired 1,500 border agents and limited fentanyl entry into the United States. Harris expressed support for this bill during the ABC presidential debate on Sept. 10.
When asked who Palmeri thought would win the election, she said that she believed if elections were held today, Trump would win.
“But it’s not today, and there are still people who get out, and the Democrats have a much better ground operation than the Republicans do,” Palmeri said.
Discussion of the election campaign also incorporated the current state of media and journalism. Palmeri touched on some of the challenges she thought journalists are now facing, with the most challenging thing about journalism being “just sticking with it.”
“It’s a tough business,” Palmeri said. “But, if you love it and you’re passionate about it and you couldn't imagine doing anything else, then I think you should do it.”
She also mentioned that being a political journalist can get aggressive when interacting with politicians.
“If you’re in political journalism, it’s combat, because if you’re doing your job well, they’re not doing their job well,” Palmeri said.
Palmeri also analyzed the effects of artificial intelligence on journalism and highlighted the importance of fact-checking and teaching media literacy at a young age.
“If we’re going to have media in our pocket, we need to know how to use it,” Palmeri said. “It’s a weapon. It can really mess with the brain and it can destroy culture.”
The event reflected on the spreading of misinformation as another challenge in the journalism field. Palmeri noted how the public’s perception of the media has changed and they prefer to see the authenticity of journalists.
Palmeri encouraged students to get involved in extracurriculars on campus, take advantage of the city and make connections with the alumni community.
“You are in the center of it all, the city is your voice,” Palmeri said. “Go for it.”
Palmeri ended the discussion on a positive note, discussing the advantages of the journalism field. She described the wide range of opportunities for young voices and the different career paths one could explore, such as streaming or creating your own network.
“You can be an entrepreneur and a journalist at the same time,” Palmeri said.
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Hunting, Ariana Kavoossi and Ella Rousseau.
