Many people are still processing former President Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in last week’s election. That includes college students studying journalism.
Reporters were subject to much criticism during the last Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly threatened journalists and the media for spreading “fake news.”
These claims were made throughout his 2016 campaign, first term, and recently at a rally in Pennsylvania shortly before Election Day.
Trump insinuated he didn’t mind if a journalist was shot when speaking about another potential assassination attempt.
“To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news and I don’t mind that so much,” Trump said. "I don't mind."
John Depin, the managing editor at The Daily Collegian, the student-run newspaper at UMass Amherst, said it was hard for him to process the news Trump won the day after the 2024 election.
“I actually called my mom and I said, like, ‘I don't know. I don't think I can do this. I don't think I can do journalism anymore. I just don't want to be vilified and hated for telling the truth,’” Depin said.
Depin said his mom tried to encourage him to stay in the industry. He decided that he’ll keep writing and stay vigilant.
“I hope when people see that consistency, they realize that nothing has changed between administrations and we're just continuing to do our job,” Depin said. “But then, as soon as you bring up Trump ... it's crazy how he gets people to believe him over the vast majority of news networks. And so, I hope people see the consistency in our reporting and our ability to report on these issues.”
Those issues include what the university — and its students — are doing in response to certain Trump policies, said Daniel Frank, the news editor at the Collegian.
“The student government passed a resolution reaffirming their commitment to DEI, given Trump's statements that he's going to highly discourage the use and tie federal funding to the lack of a DEI program,” Frank said.
DEI being diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which are policies that aim to provide equal opportunities for students, faculty and staff. Trump’s “Agenda 47” plan that he outlined during his campaign includes defunding DEI initiatives as one of his major changes to higher education.
“I think as those things start happening at UMass and at public universities and in the communities around UMass, that's something we just were going to have to cover, because there's not a lot of media in the area, and hopefully we can fill in that gap,” Frank said.
While covering the impact, Depin said reporters need to understand the perspective of Trump voters. He sees that as his job as a journalist even if he doesn’t personally agree with their views.
“It's important to recognize where these, the people that live in this community are coming from and maybe not amplify their voices, but at least hear them and at least include them, and at least take them into consideration when writing pieces,” Depin said.
In nearby South Hadley at Mount Holyoke College, Tara Monastesse is the editor-in-chief of the The Mount Holyoke News, the independent, student newspaper.
Monastesse is also grappling with the challenges of reporting during a Trump presidency. She said the last time he was in office, she was in high school and just getting interested in journalism.
In Trump’s second term, Monastesse said she thinks it’s important to continue providing quality reporting on her college campus.
“How are international students feeling about the potential impact of a new Trump administration? How are women feeling? How are Latino students feeling?" she said. "I think the reporting will just be a lot better if you focus on how the potential impacts of this administration are going to affect the people closest to you and your readers.”
These student journalists say they’ll just continue the work they’ve always set out to do. But now, they’re convinced, it will have an even greater impact on their community, the public and democracy than ever before.
