Jason Zengerle, a journalist and the 2019 Toner Prize winner, spoke at Syracuse University Tuesday about his investigative work covering politics during the Trump administration.

Zengerle’s talk at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications came about six months after the school awarded him its Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting. He currently works as a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and as a GQ Magazine correspondent.

Newhouse recognized Zengerle for reporting on the effect of Donald Trump’s presidency on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Toner Program was established in 2009 and pays tribute to Robin Toner, a Newhouse alumna and the first woman to be a national political correspondent for The New York Times.

His stories focus on the downstream effect of the Trump administration on political institutions but also on individuals. These are topics that usually take more time for him to research and formulate, Zengerle said.

Long-form magazine writing can connect stories in daily news articles to tell a story in a big-picture way that provides greater understanding to readers, he said. Zengerle was driven to magazine writing because of this analytical aspect that is often missing from the daily news cycle.

Zengerle said his desire to report off-the-beaten-path has led to his success in creating engaging long-form political content for numerous publications. He’s found more unique stories by covering areas outside of Washington, D.C., such as Texas and Alabama, that often lack coverage by local publications.

“The worst thing for me when I get to a story is to find another journalist is there,” Zengerle said. “You want to have ownership over what you’re doing and what you’re reporting, and the other part is that the more reporters are around something the more it changes the dynamic of what you’re seeing.”

Zengerle did not study nor major in journalism, but his love for writing drove him to consider the profession post-graduation. This choice led to a job at The New Republic, a political magazine, where he started as a fact-checker and a reporter who did not cover politics.

After the 2016 presidential election, Zengerle’s writing at The New York Times Magazine focused on Washington, D.C., as readers wanted to know more about the incoming Trump administration, he said. Zengerle has also reported on the United States’ “Zero Tolerance” Immigration Enforcement Policy.

“In a lot of ways, the last couple of years have been a testament to the importance and really the power of political journalism,” Zengerle said. “It is my hope that the next couple of years will support that and that when we emerge from the other side of this, the institution of journalism will be strengthened rather than weakened.”

Published on September 24, 2019 at 11:15 pm

Contact Sydney: sabergan@syr.edu