Karine Jean-Pierre returned to her Long Island roots on Thursday not for a victory lap, but to sound an alarm.
Speaking to a select cohort of aspiring journalists at Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, the former White House Press Secretary and Hempstead native issued a blunt mandate to the next generation. If the press loses its access, she warned, the People’s House becomes nothing more than a fortress of propaganda.
Jean-Pierre, the first Black and openly queer person to hold the podium, spent the afternoon leading a mock press briefing in the university’s Content Suite. In this intimate setting, separate from her larger address on campus, she stripped away the glamour of Washington to reveal the gritty reality of holding power accountable.
When asked by a graduate student about the friction between government security and media transparency, Jean-Pierre did not mince words.
“The power of the people should be the power of the people. It shouldn’t be all in the White House,” Jean-Pierre said. “When you have a White House that cares more about itself and less about the people, people become fearful.”
Jean-Pierre drew a sharp line between American democracy and authoritarian regimes, warning the students that the Briefing Room is not just a room, it is a symbol.
“You have to respect the freedom of the press,” she warned, cautioning against any administration that curates its message to the point of exclusion. “And not turn the briefing room into State TV. Because when you do that, then it looks more like North Korea. It looks more like Russia.”
For the students in the room, many of whom are preparing to enter a media landscape under siege, Jean-Pierre’s presence was a tangible reminder that the path to the White House can start in Nassau County. But she emphasized that the responsibility to guard the truth starts immediately.
Jean-Pierre challenged Hofstra’s journalists to reject access journalism, where fear dictates coverage, and instead to be the firewall that keeps the administration accountable. Her message to Long Island’s next wave of reporters was clear. The briefing room is a battleground for the truth, and they must be ready for the fight.
