Monitor Night Live Explores Extremism Worldwide
Principia College hosted Monitor Night Live in a packed Wanamaker Hall on February 25. On stage with Editor Marshall Ingwerson (C’79) were Linda Feldmann, national politics reporter, and Harry Bruinius, the New York correspondent. Istanbul Bureau Chief Scott Peterson, European Bureau Chief Sara Miller Llana, and intern Story Hinckley participated via video.
“Presidential elections are often divisive,” Ingwerson noted early on, “but this one is feeling more polarized than any in recent memory. And violent extremists seem to have gained traction among the hearts and minds of young Muslims around the world. What's behind the rise in extremism? And how can we see it differently?” Those were among the questions prompting the program’s title: “Crossing the Divide: How to Reach the Other Side in Politics, Religion, and More.”
Feldmann pointed out that, behind the rhetoric in the highly charged U.S. presidential nominating campaigns, she sees a great love of country that is spurring record voter turnout in the caucuses and primaries, along with high levels of campaign volunteering. “I’ve talked with many voters who say they’ll still support whoever is elected even if it isn’t ‘their’ candidate,” she said, offering another sign of an engaged citizenry.
Others saw evidence of a counterbalance to extremism as well. Peterson, who was headed to Iran to cover its parliamentary election, described an unprecedented spectrum of ideas among the electorate there. His article, published a few days later, noted that moderates had gained ground in the election. Llana, who lives just a few blocks from the site of one of November’s terrorist attacks in Paris, shared insights from her recent interviews with Muslim immigrants in Poland. In particular, she noted that assisting refugees in assimilating into their adopted countries helps prevent extremist attitudes from developing.
Earlier in the day, the Monitor team visited mass communication and political science classes and talked with students during lunch and dinner, addressing news coverage of the election, terrorism, immigration, and challenges in the newspaper industry. Reflecting on the journalists’ campus visit, Mass Communication Department Chair Paul Wesman underscored the impact of Monitor Night Live on student learning. “At a time of complex and divisive issues on the national and world stage, the Monitor’s approach to journalism is more important than ever,” he noted. “The Monitor journalists who spoke with us brought the deep, calm, and clear-eyed kind of analysis we all need in order to sort out the range of events facing us each day in the news, from terrorist threats to the tangled drama of an election process. We’re very appreciative that seasoned Monitor professionals have found time each year to pause and join the Principia community to share their observations and insights.”
Listen to a full broadcast of the event on Principia Internet Radio.