Jenna Crowe
Staff Writer
What do you get when you combine mass media, Republican candidate Donald Trump and a very opinionated reporter? The answer was found at a presentation given by Vox.com reporter Sean Illing on October 17.
Illing used his first visit to Idaho as an opportunity to educate ISU students and the Pocatello community on his views and the role media plays in the upcoming election. His presentation, titled “Is Too much Democracy a Bad Thing? Thoughts on the 2016 Election,” was held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the North and Middle Fork rooms on the third floor of the Student Union Building.
“I never turn down an opportunity to talk to people about what really matters and what I think,” Illing said.
Illing, hailing from Washington, D.C., came to ISU after receiving an invite from an old college friend, Zac Gershberg, a professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Persuasion. The pair met during a pickup game of basketball at Louisiana State University.
“It’s exciting to have such an unconventional political journalist visit during the final stages of the presidential election,” Gershberg said in a statement released by the university.
“The truth is, no one knows what the hell is going on,” Illing said of the election.
This was how he began his presentation, and he upheld this standard of candor throughout his presentation without fear or reservation. This was shown a few minutes later with Illing admitting “[I am] certain I will offend people in this room”.
His presentation addressed the relationship between mass media and Trump, as well as its effect on the mass populace. Illing didn’t completely disregard the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, however.
“I’m not a fan of the Clintons,” Illing said. “I am voting for her though, because I am convinced that the alternative is worse.”
Using illusions and quotes from influential people such as Plato and Winston Churchill, Illing showed the true damage that Trump has caused.
“He wants to lead a world he is determined not to understand,” Illing said. “Trump is political dynamite.”
Examples of this damage are found throughout the media, but what can be viewed as most shocking is the fact that the political view Trump is promoting, dubbed “Trumpism” by Illing, does not need it’s namesake to survive.
Illing connected this to the Tea Party that surfaced in 2009. The Tea Party, which should not be confused with the Boston Tea Party, can be viewed as a thinly-veiled retaliation against having an African American as President. The connection between the two can be found in their similar slogans: “Take the country back” from the Tea Party and “Make America great again” from Trump’s campaign.
Illing also revealed that Trump’s endorsement can be connected to the Birtherism Theory, which centers around rumors that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and is secretly a Muslim.
“The bigotry in Trump’s campaign has always been there,” Illing said. “He is mob passion made flesh.”
Illing ended his presentation on the idea that the status quo is no longer sustainable.
He connected this with how media is used today, stating “People are shopping for the version of reality they most want to hear.”
Illing fully believes that Trump will lose the election in the coming weeks and that Trump won’t run again. Illing speculates that Trump will cater to his current clientele and will therefore attempt to launch a media company which gives him a chance to continue promoting his political views.
“Many people who would have never voted for a Democrat are looking at Trump and saying ‘NO’,” Illing said.
