The high-profile panels took place ahead of the White House Correspondents鈥� Dinner on April 25 and World Press Freedom Day on May 3. NBC White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor (C鈥�09) moderated the first event, which was held in Lohrfink Auditorium on April 21 and featured CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O鈥橩eefe, POLITICO White House reporter Sophia Cai and NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

The second panel, was hosted in Gaston Hall on April 23 and featured an introduction from John Bass, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Turkey and Georgia and an instructor for the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD) within 骋别辞谤驳别迟辞飞苍鈥檚 School of Foreign Service. PBS NewsHour co-anchor , a former GU Politics Fellow, moderated the conversation with Jason Rezaian, director of Press Freedom Initiatives at The Washington Post; Yeganeh Rezaian, a special envoy for the Committee to Project Journalists; Fatemeh Jamalpour, an Iranian freelance journalist; and Clayton Weimers, the executive director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) USA.

鈥淥ur hope is that this week, the conversations that we’ve had are themselves a kind of unfiltered, unrestricted journalism,鈥� (C鈥�99), director of the Journalism Program, said to the audience at Gaston Hall. 鈥淲e hope all of this will help you better understand the world in which we live and the forces that shape the information that reaches us. This reporting is rooted in hard data and research 鈥� and, as with the best journalism, human stories.鈥�

The State of White House Journalism

Instead of a 24-hour news cycle, covering the second Trump administration is more like working in a 24-minute or six-hour news cycle, O鈥橩eefe said. 

鈥淲hat was true at 10 a.m. is not the case at 6 p.m., and that is because Trump himself has molded the conversation in a different way, or thrown a surprise at you that we probably anticipated was coming but did indeed come in some way鈥� he said. 鈥淪o you just have to be open minded and anticipate anything and really everything and not let yourself be surprised by it.鈥�

In addition to the rapid pace of the news, O鈥橩eefe also said that with the second Trump administration, there are more officials who are combative or restrictive with reporters compared to the first Trump administration. During the spring semester, a team of more than two dozen Georgetown journalism students set out to better understand how access, transparency and coverage of the presidency may be evolving.

They conducted interviews with White House correspondents, editors, academics and other nonpartisan media experts and designed a targeted survey of journalists who actively cover the presidency. Students began this work around the anniversary of the inauguration in January and finished in April. 

Montanaro, who worked as an instructor in the course, provided a summary , which is based on responses from about 90 White House correspondents.

The pool of reporters who travel with the president has expanded to include more partisan, right-leaning outlets, he said, which can make for 鈥渨atered-down scrutiny.鈥� Transparency in this White House has also gone down, Montanaro said. 鈥淰isitor logs, medical reports, tax returns, White House staff salaries, transcripts 鈥� there鈥檚 less of that that鈥檚 being put out to the public,鈥� he said. 

A majority of the journalists who responded said that the job of covering the White House has become more emotionally exhausting, difficult and stressful, but a majority also said that they鈥檙e not considering leaving journalism or switching to another beat, Montanaro said.

鈥溾�嬧�婽rump is a fascinating person to cover, and I think everyone on the beat realizes that there may never in our lifetime, or our work years, be somebody like that to cover again,鈥� Cai said. 鈥淎nd I think people realize how consequential this president is going to be, how consequential the next two years will be, if potentially the [House of Representatives] flips, and what that looks like with a divided government.鈥�

From the journalists鈥� vantage point, the job of a White House reporter is to ask questions and find answers so that the general public can have a better understanding of the decisions being made at the highest levels of government.

鈥淚t’s not lost on me that it’s remarkable that I’m working at the White House,鈥� Alcindor said. 鈥淎nd it’s also not lost on me that there are literally, I think, millions of people who are counting on the White House press corps to get information.鈥�

The State of Press Freedom

For Jason Rezaian, the current moment presents the most challenging situation for journalists around the world. 

Rezaian was detained in Iran in July of 2014 for 544 days, and this January marked 10 years since his release. He said that restrictions on press freedom in Iran have since become more extreme.

鈥淭he tools of repression go farther,鈥� Rezaian said. 鈥淵ou cut off the internet in 2009, that was very difficult for people, but the internet in 2009 was not what the internet of 2026 is. It鈥檚 like oxygen now. It鈥檚 part of every aspect of our existence, even in a country like Iran, where there鈥檚 massive censorship.鈥� 

Yeganeh Rezaian, Jason鈥檚 wife who was also imprisoned in Iran in 2014, said press freedom can often feel abstract. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always a battle to make people realize that when a journalist is silenced 鈥� you鈥檙e being eliminated of your rights,鈥� she said. 

Bass, the former U.S. ambassador, had a career in the U.S. Foreign Service for nearly 40 years that spanned the end of the Cold War and the post-Cold War era of the 1990s, Sept. 11 and the global war on terrorism and more recent conflicts around the world. One of the constants throughout his career was the need to defend and advance the work of professional journalists, Bass said.

鈥淭hat work was vital then, and it’s even more vital today, due to the complexity of the issues that face virtually every society in the world,鈥� he said.

Weimers from RSF USA, a nonprofit organization focused on safeguarding press freedom, said that press freedom impacts everyone. Reporters Without Borders releases on world press freedom, and this year, for the first time since the inaugural index in 2002, over half of the world鈥檚 countries fall into the 鈥渄ifficult鈥� or 鈥渧ery serious鈥� categories for press freedom. The United States fell seven spots in the index. 

But the panelists believe there is still hope.

鈥淚 think that anything we can do to contribute to lessening injustice is a worthy endeavor,鈥� Jason Rezaian said. 

Courage is contagious, said Jamalpour, an Iranian freelance journalist who is banned from working in Iran. She is a co-author of For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran鈥檚 Women-Led Uprising. 鈥淲e are determined to be the voice of our people,鈥� Jamalpour said. 

And there are countries that respect press freedom, and they all share things in common, Weimers said. There is robust public funding for media that is independent of any political control. A legal infrastructure is in place to help ensure crimes against journalists don鈥檛 happen, and if they do, there鈥檚 accountability. In those countries, Weimers added, there is also a culture where politicians don鈥檛 attack the media.  

Yeganeh Rezaian finds hope in exiled journalists who continue to report on the news. Jason Rezaian envisions a day where hostage taking is no longer practiced. The tools available to journalists, he said, have never been more developed.

鈥淥ur ability to create more beautiful, data driven, verifiable journalism, has never been more robust than it is right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he core act of making journalism and doing it quickly and efficiently and cost effectively has never been more accessible to more people in the world than it is at this very moment, and that is going to continue.鈥�

(Top photo of Rebecca Sinderbrand by Rafael Suanes)

The panel, hosted by and , was introduced by program director and featured NBC News Washington correspondent Yamiche Alcindor (C鈥�09), Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim, New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and ABC News correspondent , a Georgetown alumna who served as the moderator. 

The nearly 90-minute conversation, which took place just days in advance of the , spanned topics including press access, misinformation, shifting political dynamics and the role of journalism in an increasingly digital and fragmented media landscape.

鈥淭here are few moments in our nation鈥檚 history that have presented quite this array of challenges for individuals who are working to provide fair, smart, intense coverage of the presidency and the White House,鈥� Sinderbrand said.

The panelists remarked that the second Trump term has felt significantly different than the first. 

Trump 鈥渉as learned this time around how to turn the levers of power,鈥� Baker said. 

The Republican Party, in general, has responded differently, as well, Kim added. 鈥淚t’s really remarkable how little the resistance and pushback is now,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 actually pretty minor compared to what we used to see from these other Republican figures.鈥�

Earlier this year, it would select reporters that make up the press pool, which consists of a group of journalists who cover the president on behalf of a larger number of media outlets. Previously, an association of independent journalists handled that decision. The correspondents described how increasingly selective press briefings and the could limit the public鈥檚 ability to receive accurate, timely information. 

鈥淚 think when you have the White House 鈥� Democrats or Republicans 鈥� picking people, they might pick people who don鈥檛 want to hold them accountable,鈥� Alcindor said.

The stories that journalists tell can help explain how the government’s actions directly impact people鈥檚 lives. Kim referenced exploring consequences of cuts made by the Trump Administration. 鈥淗ow does that affect how people can do their taxes and get their tax refunds?鈥� Kim said. 鈥淲hat could it do to people who rely on, for example, Head Start programs?鈥�

The conversation also explored the power of language in shaping narratives. Responding to an audience question about terminology, Alcindor said that journalists have a responsibility to explain the historical context and meaning of words or phrases used in the news. 鈥淚 think language really, really matters,鈥� she said.

Strong sourcing, the panelists agreed, remains essential. Sources can be found in multiple places. 鈥淚 always tell people, if you have a story idea, your first stop shouldn鈥檛 always be the White House press office,鈥� Kim said. 鈥淭here are other ways to work around it and get a more interesting angle, figure out what鈥檚 going on.鈥�

Baker likened the relentless pace of the news cycle to 鈥減laying Whac-A-Mole,鈥� with developments surfacing faster than journalists can process them. 鈥淚 think the challenge is,鈥� he said, 鈥渉ow do we stop, take a breath and make sense of it all?鈥�

Alcindor concluded that in today鈥檚 fragmented media environment鈥攚here journalists are no longer the sole gatekeepers of information鈥攊t鈥檚 more important than ever to be concise, clear and meet news consumers where they are when presenting the facts.

鈥淚t can鈥檛 be the other way around,鈥� Alcindor said. 鈥淲e as news producers have to continue to follow where people are gathering.鈥�

Gjelten was most recently religion and belief correspondent at National Public Radio, reporting on such issues as the changing religious landscape in America, the formation of personal identity, the role of religion in politics, and social and cultural conflict arising from religious differences.

鈥淲e’re so thrilled to have a journalist of Tom Gjelten’s caliber as a resource for our aspiring reporters here on the Hilltop, inside the classroom and beyond,鈥� said Professor of the Practice Rebecca Sinderbrand, director of the Journalism Program.

 鈥淛ournalism is 鈥� at its best 鈥� a public service, and it’s a privilege to inaugurate this fellowship with an individual whose career exemplifies that aspiration, thanks to the Sakka family鈥檚 generous support.鈥�

Engaging Across Georgetown

At Georgetown, Gjelten will lead a series of public conversations for the university community during the spring semester exploring the impact of religion on political discourse and international affairs. He will also anchor the long-form narrative reporting seminar for graduating seniors in the journalism minor completing their capstone projects, as well as hold office hours as a fellow in residence on the university鈥檚 Hilltop Campus. Gjelten is looking forward to engaging the Georgetown University community.

鈥淕eorgetown is a first-class, world-renowned university, and I am honored by this opportunity to join the Georgetown community and help prepare young scholars who are destined to be leaders in journalism and global affairs.鈥�

A Global Reporting Career

Gjelten鈥檚 nearly four-decade NPR career included extensive overseas reporting on wars, social and political strife and transitions to democracy in Central and South America, the Middle East, the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He later covered U.S. diplomacy and military affairs from the U.S. State Department and then from the Pentagon, including live reporting from the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and during the early war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He is the author of several critically-acclaimed books, including Sarajevo Daily: A City and Its Newspaper Under Siege (1996), Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause (2008), and A Nation of Nations: A Great American Immigration Story (2015). For his NPR reporting, he was honored with two Overseas Press Club Awards, a George Polk Award, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and a National Headliner Award. Gjelten is currently a contributing writer at Moment Magazine, where in 2022 he earned the 鈥淩eligion Story of the Year鈥� award from the Religion News Association. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Tom Gjelten’s NPR career set the bar for in-depth and sophisticated reporting on the complex intersection of religion and geopolitics. We are delighted to inaugurate the Sakka Fellowship with such a stellar, distinguished fellow,” said Professor Michael Kessler, executive director of the Berkley Center. 

“Georgetown is truly grateful for Kareem and Dania Sakka’s generosity and their keen foresight that our public discourse is served by sharper reporting about religion and politics globally.”

The Sakka Family Religion and International Journalism Fellowship is made possible through a generous gift from Kareem Sakka (MBA’91, P’20, P’24) and Dania Sakka (P’20, P’24). The fellowship was created to help students gain a greater understanding of the role of religion in public life and world events by connecting the Georgetown community with journalists who have significant experience reporting on that dynamic. The application process for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on .

Develop Greater Silo Awareness. By now, most people are aware that the news sources they select can shape 鈥� or distort 鈥� their perspective of reality in the political sphere and beyond. Every link you click, even accidentally; every social media headline you pause to read, even briefly; every news story you comment on or interact with, even by way of negative feedback 鈥� it all sends algorithmic signals that go on to shape the information flow you’re likely to encounter in the future. 

The fact that your social media feeds may overwhelmingly center one campaign story may tell you little about its actual real-world pervasiveness 鈥� or how much your friends, family members and neighbors are encountering the same topic. Thanks to beta testing or updates, even two people reading the same story on the same website may be greeted by different headlines that elicit a different experience and reaction 鈥� and never realize that fact. In other words: Just because you haven’t encountered information doesn’t mean it hasn’t been reported, or isn’t important. It’s always worth seeking out a consciously diverse news diet 鈥� and an awareness of the fact that no matter the effort you invest, you can’t be certain that yours is complete.  

The First Draft of History Is Rougher than Ever. Information is arriving faster each year 鈥� but our own human capacity to piece disparate facts into a coherent, complete whole hasn’t changed. If you encounter a complete news story based on an incomplete and ongoing situation 鈥� especially if the headline or frame confirms your priors or comports to your preferred worldview 鈥� wait a beat. If it’s an image or video that reaches you via any source that is new to you rather than a longtime purveyor of reliable information, even a seemingly trustworthy one: Don’t trust your lying eyes. We can all consume facts piecemeal, but it generally pays to hold off on drawing conclusions.

Polls Are Snapshots 鈥� Not Predictions. Polls are a sort of scientific art 鈥� and there are limits as to what even the best of them can tell you. A good pollster will have the desire to police question wording and order for any detail that could elicit distorting data; the resources to connect with increasingly elusive blocs of the electorate; the knowledge to make some educated assumptions about the current shape of the electorate; and, frankly, just a little bit of pure luck to boot. One additional presidential campaign year caveat is that the ubiquitous national polls are far less valuable than the (far fewer) surveys of the handful of states that are likely to decide the outcome. An even bigger asterisk is that any survey, at its best, may accurately capture public sentiment 鈥� at least, the views of those individuals in any demographic category who choose to engage and offer their views 鈥� over a defined window of time, usually a few days, that represent the past tense even at the moment the results are released. A poll isn’t meant to project future outcomes 鈥� just to capture one possible assessment of current sentiment. We still have a few dozen news cycle lifetimes left to go before The Only Poll That Really Matters.

For Editorial Decision-Making, Process Matters. Methods of information-sharing have become more democratic: It can be difficult to quickly discern whether an Instagram post or digital article has emerged from one of the largest, most established professional news organizations in the world, or a lone poster publishing from their basement. The distinguishing factor is the sausage-making you can’t see 鈥� the editorial vetting and decision-making involved in unearthing, curating and producing that output 鈥� and this is where a little due diligence can provide a baseline sense of confidence, or a warning signal to steer clear. Have those responsible for making difficult decisions laid out their general standards around sourcing, conflicts of interest and other ethical and coverage questions? On those occasions when errors have occurred, have they been publicly transparent about correcting those mistakes, investigating how they occurred and taking action to prevent a recurrence of the problem? If you can’t answer those questions in the affirmative about any news source you encounter, then treat their product with extreme caution.

The People Behind the News Matter. The reliability of the news you consume depends, at its most basic level, on the judgment and expertise of the individuals who gather it in the first place. Humans are imperfect, and even the most battle-tested and well-meaning reporter can have a bad day on the beat 鈥� but, speaking as a newsroom veteran, track records do matter. In a profession where your reputation is only as solid as the stories you report, people who put their names on an article or their faces on the air have a vested interest in getting things right 鈥� and the ones who break news year after year for organizations with the highest public standards for accuracy act as a critical line of defense in the battle against misinformation and disinformation.

During the Home Stretch, Log Off. Speaking as a longtime political journalist, this advice is painful, but essential. It’s vital to stay educated and informed 鈥� and to support objective journalism (a free press isn’t free!). But a news diet is like any other kind, and can benefit from many of the same principles, such as: all things in moderation, and make sure you stop consuming well before bedtime. The human mind wasn’t designed to stay immersed in a fast-moving, high-stakes, high-emotion story like the presidential campaign 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is true even when doing just that is your job! If it’s not, consider limiting your consumption to a few designated windows of the day 鈥� and always, always, steer clear of the comments.

Illustration by Adri脿 Volt脿.

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