MSNBC Chief Rashida Jones Talks ‘Power’ of Journalism and 2024 Election in Graduation Speech
MSNBC President Rashida Jones spoke about the power of journalism and encouraged graduating students at the University of the District of Columbia to “engaged and active” as “the 2024 election looms ahead” in a moving commencement address on Saturday.
Jones, a graduate of Hampton University, gave the weekend commencement address at UDC, the historically Black college known and only public university in the capital.
“I know a number of you are first-generation graduates. You are setting the example in your own families and communities. That pressure, the pressure of being a first or only, is a privilege. There is a certain responsibility when you are the first to do something. I have personally seen it and felt it. But that pressure means you are doing something extraordinary,” Jones said.
She continued by extolling the power of journalism:
Pressure comes when you break barriers. But trust yourself that you can handle it. You can. The pressure is a privilege. Pressure is a privilege. I heard someone say that once and it stopped me in my tracks. It stopped me. Because it is so true. The pressure you feel now will continue to compound as the stakes get higher. But it is a privilege to be in spaces where you are expected to rise to the level. Be open to pressure that helps you become better at what you do or a better person.
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Pressure comes in all shapes and sizes in a role like mine. As journalists, we are writing the first draft of history, and a lot of responsibility comes with that. I lead an organization that values the First Amendment and the power journalism has in putting a mirror up to the world. It is important for all of us, in each of our ways, to hold the powerful accountable and to leave the world in a better place because of it.
That responsibility, that pressure, empowered journalists like Ida B. Wells and Ethel Payne to lay down a foundation for fundamental change and inspire the modern civil rights movement.
“The issues today are just as weighty… As a voter, you have a responsibility to ensure you are remaining engaged and active and doing your part to make decisions that will mean a better place for your children, your nieces and nephews, our future. This year as the 2024 election looms ahead, that responsibility is more important than ever,” Jones said.
Jones, who was named president of MSNBC in 2021, succeeding Phil Griffin, is the first Black woman to helm a major cable news network.
