A White House correspondent. A Medill professor who wrote a book about Michelle Obama. Ukrainian students who have experienced war firsthand. Cherubs heard about political reporting from speakers who have experienced politics and government across the world.
Political lectures taught cherubs about the importance of fair, diverse reporting and left them feeling inspired for their future.
“Cherubs forces you to kind of expand your comfort zone,” Michael Matlof of Los Angeles said. “You’re around so many people of so many different backgrounds and new people. Everyone’s new.”
Meeting people from 21 U.S. states and five countries became an entry point to hone his ability to represent people’s perspectives, Matlof said. He noticed this play out during the reporting process.
“I’ve had a few interviews here where I’ve gotten to ask people about their perspective,” Matlof said. “Maybe I haven’t necessarily agreed with what they said, but my job is to represent them as honestly as possible.”
Students also received direct instruction on political reporting.
A common favorite among cherubs was instructor Peter Slevin’s Reporting on Politics in the Trump Era. This lecture broke down the historical context of recent U.S. elections and described the relationship between the press and the government. He cautioned students to watch for lies and intimidation.
“I try to base everything on facts,” Slevin said. “Donald Trump, in his second term, has given us so many more examples of how he operates, how he plays fast and loose with the truth, how he tries to dominate his political rivals and how he tries to intimidate the press.”
Skylar Sachs of Toledo, Ohio, said she was especially excited when she heard that Slevin (who, in addition to being a Medill professor, is a contributing writer for The New Yorker) would be a cherub instructor. His work in political journalism made him “a complete role model” to her.
“After his lecture, I felt like journalism is a light for the future,” Sachs said. “We can use journalism to not get discouraged, not only to understand the news, but to make it ourselves.”
Rania Raj of London said the lectures describe issues in the political landscape, but guide cherubs to make a difference through journalism.
“They’re framed in a way that puts the responsibility on us as young people to make a difference in the future,” Raj said. “These instructors trust us.”
Matlof said he appreciated political education at cherubs, and his four weeks helped him build his own trust in fellow journalists.
“What we still have and need to keep defending is the First Amendment. In this program, I get to see other people trying to practice that and actually use that right,” Matlof said. “I came in already hopeful for the future, but I’m now even more so.”
