On Tuesday, September 17, Ayesha Rascoe, journalist and host of Weekend Edition Sunday on National Public Radio, delivered the annual Beal Lecture.
The Beal Lecture series was established in 1983 to strengthen students’ understanding of national and international issues and model the kinds of careers students can pursue. Previous speakers include “The Frog Guy”—Dr. Tyrone Hayes, biologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and head of Special Olympics Euro/Eurasia, David Evangelista.
After graduating from Howard University in 2007, Ms. Rascoe became a White House correspondent. She covered three presidential administrations and numerous high profile trips as part of the press pool, including President Trump’s 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and President Obama’s final NATO summit in 2016. Currently, as host of Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR, she interviews newsmakers, entertainers, and politicians. Mr. Keith Moon, instructor in English and history and coordinator of the Beal Lecture Series, said, “I hoped that Ms. Rascoe would bring awareness of the upcoming election to the school. Her involvement in the political world by being a White House correspondent for three presidents gave a good perspective to the school.”
During her lecture, Ms. Rascoe addressed declining public trust in the media and the importance of including diverse voices as authoritative in the news. She said, “Unfortunately, trust in the media is at historic lows. In 2023, Gallup found that 32% of Americans say they trust the mass media a great deal or a fair amount—that tied a record low finding from 2016. Any functioning democracy needs a strong and independent press to help voters make informed decisions at the ballot box.”
After the lecture, Ms. Rascoe answered students’ questions, addressing in particular the animosity she has faced from some listeners as a Black radio host from the South. She said, “I have tried to keep in mind that it’s not really about me, so I don’t take it personally. What people are reacting to is not me but their unfamiliarity listening to a Black woman on the radio.”
Following the lecture, Ms. Rascoe invited students to ask additional questions in the Faculty Room. Addie Cirulis ’25 said, “The conversation with Ms. Ayesha Rascoe taught me how to reliably use news outlets to inform myself about current events.”
