Our annual tradition of closing the Fall season in collaboration with the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service continues as we center this event around our engaging political landscape!
Bryan Schott has been covering Utah politics for more than two decades. He brings his deep knowledge and intense passion for political journalism to The Salt Lake Tribune. You’ll usually find him and his signature white-framed glasses prowling the back hallways of the Utah Capitol searching for scoops. He also hosts the “Utah Politics with Bryan Schott” podcast.
Reflection
APEX Events closed out its Fall 2020 season with their annual collaboration with the Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service. This year’s collaboration brought in political journalist from the Salt Lake Tribune, Bryan Schott. Schott has been covering Utah politics for more than two decades. He brings his deep knowledge and intense passion for political journalism to The Salt Lake Tribune. You’ll usually find him and his signature white-framed glasses prowling the back hallways of the Utah Capitol searching for scoops and as the host of the “Utah Politics with Bryan Schott” podcast. A veteran political journalist, Schott brings conversations with Utah newsmakers, national political experts, and authors. He also discusses the latest Utah political news with local reporters and other political figures. He was joined onstage by Director of APEX Events, Dr. Lynn Vartan, and Director of the Leavitt Center for Politics, Mary Weaver Bennett.
The discussion began with Bryan talking about his beginnings in journalism, and how his career in journalism started when Bryan was 13 years old and was told about a radio station that was hiring in his town by his teacher. Schott went and took the job, and got started in journalism. Schott, Dr. Vartan, and Mary Weaver Bennett began discussing the difference between fake news and fair, accurate news and how to recognize the difference. Schott, while giving some recommendations, also comments on how today, the New York Times even is often discounted as not truthful news and that people mostly get their news from social media, thanks to bias. He also recommended reading things that go against the personal beliefs of people and ask questions constantly.
The trio also discussed politics in Utah, discussions from Bryan’s podcast, and the difference in facts within the nation’s politics, mostly referring to how many Trump voters believe that the recent election was not honest, despite what many statistics say, as well as the role of social media (specifically, Twitter) in the U.S. government. Schott also brings up how the impact of the COVID-19 virus has affected campaigning and politics today as well as providing input on the governor election in Utah. To end the discussion, as well as the Fall 2020 APEX season, Dr. Vartan asked Bryan what advice he could impart on students, to which he responded, “Just don’t take anything as face value. Things are moving so quickly, it’s hard to see history, the forces that are moving us in slow motion, because everything is moving so fast...so appreciate it, but don’t think that what is happening now is what’s going to happen in the future. The mistakes that so many political people make is the last thing that they assume is the last thing that is going to happen, they don’t think down the line...never assume that the last thing that happened in politics is the last thing that’s going to happen.”
- By Emily Sexton
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