Political journalist Jonathan Martin visited Worcester State University on October 22 to participate in a discussion on the current state of American politics. Martin, politics bureau chief and senior political columnist at Politico, was joined onstage by two university political science faculty members, Anthony Dell’Aera and Nathan Angelo, who took turns posing wide-ranging questions for Martin to address.
The event began with an introduction by Russ Pottle, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, who outlined the agenda and emphasized the importance of civility and inclusion throughout the program.
During the conversation, Martin reflected on the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Maine, where incumbent Republican Susan Collins is expected to face a tough challenge. Martin criticized Democrats for often becoming enamored with political “outsider” candidates who capture attention through viral videos and social media rather than focusing on more substantive policy positions.
He used the example of Graham Platner, a political upstart running for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Maine, whose rising star suddenly dimmed as past offensive social media and a tattoo of an image often associated with Nazis recently came to light. Martin argued that the media shares blame for fueling this dynamic by rushing to profile outsider candidates.
The discussion also touched on the future of the Republican Party after the Trump presidency, with Martin predicting the party will shift towards a more European-style nationalist populism. He noted the challenge of sustaining Trumpism without Trump himself, given the president’s singular ability to captivate attention and define his party’s priorities.
In the United Kingdom, the Conservative party (the Tories), the party most analogous to Republicans in the U.S., has lost their position as the governing party. They paid that price “because they have lost their vote share to a third party or a fourth party,” Martin said.
“The Republican party, instead of facing the same challenge of losing vote share to a third party or a fourth party, decided, ‘We’re going to actually absorb Trumpism and we’re going to become a populist nationalist party, and we’re going to have an uneasy marriage between the old Reaganite Bush party and the new Trump party under the same roof,’” he said. “Now, they don’t sleep in the same bed, sometimes not even in the same bedroom, but they’re still under the same roof. And I don’t see that changing in 2028. I still think you see that uneasy alliance.”
When asked about the role of social media and technology in shaping modern politics, Martin expressed deep concern over misinformation, “deep fakes,” and the ability of individuals to self-select into ideological echo chambers. He argued that while many still want factual information, the current media landscape and digital culture make it all too easy for people to avoid engaging with views that differ from their own.
“Tribalism is the story of our age,” he said. “The parties are sorted, they’re purified, they’re nationalized, they’re driven by negative polarization or negative partisanship.” Parties draw attention simply by opposing the other side. “That is the defining element of politics today,” he said.
Martin addressed the difficulties of restoring trust in media and institutions, and the importance of citizens engaging in the political process at all levels of government.
He lamented the decline of local news coverage and accountability, noting that without a watchdog press, there is a risk of increased corruption and lack of transparency in local government.
He encouraged the audience, especially the students, to get involved in their communities, whether through journalism or running for office, to help address these challenges.
“If you don’t like what you’re seeing, you’re mad at the leaders, you’re mad at the coverage, guess what’s the great news about America? You can fix that. Alright? You get involved, whether it’s in journalism or politics.”
Later in the day, Martin spoke candidly to the staff and faculty advisors of the Wormtown Herald, the student newspaper of Worcester State, about the changing dynamics of news and opinion writing.
Martin highlighted the growing prevalence of opinion pieces and analysis in today’s media landscape, noting that the ease of access to breaking news through push alerts and social media has shifted the focus towards providing context and interpretation rather than just reporting the facts. He acknowledged the appeal and prevalence of hot takes on social media but expressed concern that this trend could come at the expense of essential accountability and watchdog journalism.
“The best, most vital public service journalism is accountability journalism— it’s watchdog journalism, holding powerful people and institutions accountable to the public,” he said. “That is vital to me. It’s also in the interest of the citizen, of the taxpayer. They don’t have a voice. We are their voice.”
Martin’s visit was sponsored by the Office of the President and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with the assistance of students from the Political Science Club.
Beyond the Classroom
Eminent political journalist Jonathan Martin to speak at Worcester State
Jonathan Martin, influential political journalist and fellow at the University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future, will visit Worcester State University for an in-depth . . .