Journalism and New Media Studies Chairman Ted Hamm, Ph.D., discussed media coverage of the 2020 presidential election in a virtual event last week with longtime political journalist Ross Barkan.
Dr. Hamm and Barkan, a political journalist covering the presidential race for Jacobin and The Guardian, covered a diverse range of topics during the Oct. 29 event, from the influence of COVID-19 on the election, the role of news outlets fact checking candidates during debates, and early voting.
Faculty, staff and administrators from St. Joseph’s College’s two campuses attended the event, submitting thought-provoking questions — including the potential impact of third party votes.
“One undeniable fact is that more voters voted third party in 2016 than will vote in this election third party…” Barkan said. “I see a diminishment in third party votes in this election. Most people seem very committed to voting democrat or republican because of Trump.
He continued: “Some people feel they must vote against Trump, or vote for him, so the third party candidates will have less of an impact on this election and I don’t think it will be a determining factor.”
Watch a recording of the event here.
Following the Election
Dr. Hamm is working to schedule a similar post-election conversation with a new guest speaker in the coming weeks.
St. Joseph’s College is additionally hosting a virtual event titled “Let’s Talk: Post-Elections Check-In & Next Steps” on Nov. 10 at 12:40 p.m. The Zoom event will give the SJC community a chance to process the election results together and discuss the future, as the College continues its efforts to have an inclusive campus.
