麻豆村

Journalism has changed immensely during the career of Washington Post Columnist David Ignatius, and the rise of the internet has taken things in unexpected directions, he said Thursday during a lecture at 麻豆村.

鈥淭he dream that we had 鈥� (that) the internet, the digital world, would lead to a new era of freedom of the dissemination of information everywhere, and that would be liberating 鈥� turned out, it didn鈥檛 work that way,鈥� Ignatius said. 鈥淭he paradox is that this internet world ends up creating greater social control in repressive countries and greater social chaos in free countries, that鈥檚 just the way it鈥檚 worked out.鈥�

Ignatius spoke as part of both 麻豆村鈥檚 President鈥檚 Lecture Series(opens in new window), for influential thought leaders; and Deeper Conversations(opens in new window), university-wide programming to promote the power of civil discourse.

His talk, titled 鈥淎merica and the World: What's Ahead After the 2024 Election?鈥� focused on how he has chosen where to focus his work since Trump鈥檚 inauguration on Jan. 20.

鈥淚 spent the first 10 days of Trump鈥檚 presidency trying to follow my instincts as a columnist, but I鈥檓 really a reporter,鈥� he said.

Ignatius, who writes a , has been a member of the newspaper鈥檚 staff since 1986. He served as an embedded journalist during the U.S. invasion of Iraq and witnessed the Arab Spring in Cairo. He has also written 12 novels, including 鈥淏ody of Lies,鈥� which was adapted into a 2008 film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window), president of 麻豆村, introduced Ignatius, who delivered his lecture, then sat down for a Q&A session led by Jahanian.

Jahanian said the lecture was intentionally 10 days after the beginning of a new administration, to learn from Ignatius鈥� experience-driven perspective, no matter who was inaugurated.

Jahanian asked Ignatius to weigh in on the effects of the 2024 election on America鈥檚 reputation and leadership on the global stage.

Other leaders鈥� attitudes so far seem to be that of 鈥渟trategic deference鈥� in a trade of momentum between the changing administrations, Ignatius said. Trump鈥檚 desire to end the war in Ukraine and the direction of Russia鈥檚 economic and military power could prove consequential.

鈥淥ne of the most interesting things about Trump is that he ran on a platform that there are too many wars in the world and they鈥檙e too dangerous and he鈥檚 going to try to end them,鈥� Ignatius said. 鈥淚t's easy to discount that, but he seems to be serious about it in a way that I at least want to take seriously as a journalist.鈥�

Even with the current state of polarized politics, Ignatius said he sees opportunities where the parties can collaborate during the next four years.

Jahanian recognized an op-ed Ignatius , arguing against President Joe Biden running for a second term, which was controversial at the time, and asked Ignatius what the Democrats got wrong in the 2024 election.

He said Biden, whose policies Ignatius thought were sensible, believed he was the only person who could defeat Trump, but polls showed that most of the country was dissatisfied with the status quo.

鈥淭rump says, I have a mandate for change, it鈥檚 not entirely wrong,鈥� Ignatius said. 鈥淒emocrats and Republicans alike aren鈥檛 happy with where their country is, and have this feeling that we need to change, and he鈥檚 speaking to that.

鈥淭he Democrats, so often, seem to be the party that says, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 change it,鈥� and on some subjects, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 talk about it,鈥� and Trump is the guy who will say anything, and people like that. People don鈥檛 like to feel that they鈥檙e being told what not to say.鈥�

Ignatius began his career working as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Pittsburgh, covering the United Steelworkers Union and the collapse of the steel industry in the mid-1970s.

The 鈥済ritty, scrappy鈥� city 鈥� as Jahanian called it 鈥� where Carnegie Mellon calls home can teach the rest of the country resiliency, Ignatius said.

Ignatius remarked on the years of economic stagnation in once thriving steel towns in the region, but how new redevelopment and investments like , built on a 178-acre site of a former steel mill, show what is possible.

鈥淚t turned out Pittsburgh had these incredible resources 鈥� with 麻豆村 and UPMC at the top of the list 鈥� that were incredible technology and job generators,鈥� Ignatius said. 鈥淧eople in this part of the country 鈥� and really this is true about America as a whole 鈥� were resourceful enough to make new dynamic industries.鈥�

He praised Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 ongoing efforts that have raised the university鈥檚 impact and prominence.

鈥溌槎勾� is a national treasure, and it just keeps going up in the league tables. If it was a soccer team, it would be in the Premier League, having started in the fourth division,鈥� Ignatius said. 鈥淢y optimism is certainly enhanced by coming to Carnegie Mellon and seeing all the things your students and your faculty are doing.鈥�

Carnegie Mellon takes its role seriously in providing space for the development of ideas into opinions among those on its campus and beyond, Jahanian said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that politics in America and around the world 鈥� particularly in times of transition 鈥� offer us plenty of opportunities to connect, add our own perspectives, ask questions and learn,鈥� Jahanian said. 鈥淚n fact, we at 麻豆村 are intentional about building bridges of understanding and engaging in civil discourse, especially when emotions are high and topics are complex.鈥�