Last week, some of my classmates and I went to the city for the Christian Student Leadership Conference (CSLC) as part of the Washington Federal Seminar class. The experience was extra valuable to me as a journalism student, because the city is the center of American politics, which is arguably the biggest conversation in media.
When thinking of news, the majority of people — myself included — instantly think of politics. In today’s society, it appears as if the only topic covered by every news outlet is the neverending unrest between conservatives and liberals. The home of this battle is our nation’s capital city, Washington, D.C.
Perhaps the most pressing topic in politics is the impeachment of President Trump. However, while in D.C. we heard very little mention of it. We met various members of Congress and the only thing they ever said about the ordeal was that it was changing their schedules. The senators would tell us that they had to spend their afternoons at the trial, and staffers explained that the whole situation was making things confusing because their bosses were out of the office, leaving their staff with directions each day.
The trial is at the forefront of American news networks, but did not seem to be the biggest priority to the men and women working on the Hill. My classmates and I found this surprising, because when we look at news coverage, the impeachment is everywhere.
It was reassuring to learn that even in the midst of this craziness the majority of the country’s leaders are still focusing on their duties and working on issues that affect our everyday lives.
During our time in Washington, D.C., we personally met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Representative Jody Hice, Representative Brett Guthrie and Ericka King, who is a staffer from Senator Rand Paul’s office. Although there is unrest due to the trial, they were friendly and excited to share details about legislation they are currently working on. They told us about the issues they are currently tackling, which include everything from creation care and sustainability to immigration.
During the CSLC we heard from many other senators and representatives. They all shared the same thing — even though they were attending the trial, it seemed that their main focus was the legislation they were working on in their states.
The fact that the media blows certain issues to a larger proportion (which can distort our understanding of the issues) is something we discuss fairly often in journalism classes and is also something I got to witness firsthand while in the capital. The impeachment drama is something that has been highlighted in national news and is certainly a large issue, but while I was in Washington, D.C., it didn’t feel as prominent as I had expected it to be.
My week in D.C. didn’t just teach me about our government and the city itself — it also proved that what we see on the news isn’t always what it seems.
