As the November 6 election day draws closer, international and domestic media outlets are eager to learn how young voters are responding to the seemingly ceaseless—and increasingly heated—campaign rhetoric.
And that includes media outlets in Germany and Japan. In recent days these media outlets have visited Mason’s Fairfax Campus to gauge Schar School of Policy and Government undergraduate students’ attitudes about the politicians and their politics, as well as students from other majors.
Last week, Germany’s largest public television broadcaster, ARD, met with members of the George Mason College Republicans club to discuss issues important to them for the morning program Morgenmagazin, similar to NBC’s Today Show. The participants were Dawson Weinhold, Connor Barth, and Savannah Rhodes, who conducted her portion of the interview in German. They answered questions about Donald Trump and his conduct, current international trade policies, and political division on campus.
Also last week, three Washington, D.C.-based reporters from Japanese publications met with eight students from both sides of the political aisle at the Schar School’s third-floor offices at Research Hall for a lively roundtable conversation.
Nobuyuki Tanaka of the West Japan Daily, Tomonori Ishikawa of the Tokyo Shimbun, and Koichi Hirahata of the Hokkaido Shimbun Press spent about 90 minutes asking students for their feelings about the current administration, what changes they would like to see after the elections, and how they feel about the state of political media integrity.
“The students were very engaged and well-spoken,” Tanaka said following the discussion. “Even though they were from different beliefs, the conversation was very civil.”
The students participating in the roundtable were: Government and International Politics students Yuki Kato, Matt Borja, and Maika Ito; Conflict Analysis and Resolution student Ashley Stewart; Public Administration major Emma Salas; Global Affairs major Yoko Nagashima; Economics major Connor Barth; and Music major Toru Kokubo.
"I felt honored to represent my country before a foreign audience," said Barth, a member of the College Republican club who attended both interview sessions. "The interviewers were careful to ensure my opinions were heard and respected."