People tend to trust their local community news sources more than they trust large media outlets. However, both are essential to safeguarding democracy, and when the free press is threatened, that is often more than not an indicator of democratic backsliding. As such, journalists have a duty to be transparent and to restore public trust.

On October 15th, I had the opportunity to drive down to the elegant Southern Methodist University campus in University Park, TX, to have a conversation with Mr. William "Bill" McKenzie, Senior Editorial Advisor at the George W. Bush Institute. I was excited and looking forward to sitting down with Mr. McKenzie to discuss political polarization and mass media.

As I approached the limestone American Georgian-style building, I could feel the imposing presence of the institution. The George W. Bush Presidential Library, which houses the Bush Institute, has stood as a beacon of democratic advocacy for more than a decade. Upon entering the Bush Institute, I was greeted by Mr. William McKenzie. We exchanged handshakes, went through security, and started making our way down the soft carpeted halls. As we passed by various paintings, Mr. McKenzie explained to me that President Bush had painted most of them, a hobby that he picked up after he departed from the White House.

As we sat down in the communal working space on the upper level of the Bush Institute, I got a chance to learn more about Mr. McKenzie's role at the nonpartisan institute. As a Senior Editorial Advisor, Mr. McKenzie is tasked with working on initiatives that advance the Institute's mission of strengthening American democracy. Currently, Mr. McKenzie is working on projects related to pluralism and reliable local journalism in the context of a healthy democracy. Through these projects, Mr. McKenzie is able to take a deeper look into how local journalism is still considered one of the more trusted forms of journalism that a majority of Americans still trust in. In a typical day, Mr. McKenzie spends the majority of his time working on his two projects related to pluralism and local journalism by conducting case studies that seek to push pluralism.

When asked about how the Bush Institute maintains its place as a nonpartisan think tank in the heart of Dallas, Mr. McKenzie responded that the Bush Institute focuses primarily on policy issues rather than political issues. The main difference between the two fields is that policy deals with informing elected officials without advocating for a certain agenda. Politics is the elected office and the people within the office. Furthermore, the Bush Institute does not endorse or train candidates for elected officials and instead stands as a reputable institution that elected officials from both sides of the political spectrum come to seek advice and get informed on issues regarding global healthcare, immigration, and democratic safeguarding.

Moving forward to compromise and political polarization, I asked Mr. McKenzie how the Bush Institute is dealing with the rise of polarization in America. He responded that although we "...can't help but know what's going on in the world, it doesn't change the issues we [Bush Institute] work on" (McKenzie). He also emphasized that compromise is still very much prominent in local levels of government. In today's society, people focus too much on the negative news that stems from Washington and State Capitols across America. However, Mr. McKenzie pointed out that there really "...isn't a Democratic or Republican way to fix roads" (McKenzie). For the remainder of our time, Mr. McKenzie and I discussed how compromise and the diffusion of truth are still pillars within this country that are necessary to defend. Within an America that is nearly evenly split between liberals, conservatives, and moderates, there exists an "exhausted majority." This exhausted majority is where many Americans fall on the political spectrum, differing from what polls and data may show.

As the interview came to an end, I wrapped up the conversation by asking Mr. McKenzie about any advice he had for me, an aspiring documentarian, journalist, and politician, about how to navigate the political world. He told me that if the journalism field wants to help end polarization, it must do three things: First, restore public trust in journalism. Second, remind people that journalism and the free press are essential for a democracy to function. Lastly, journalists should be transparent and demonstrate an impact on people's daily lives. If these three steps are accomplished, the mass media can restore trust in journalism and help move the needle on cooling polarization in the political environment.

As I walked down the limestone steps of the Bush Institute and back out into the Dallas weather, I was reminded of just how fragile the democratic institutions of our country are. All it takes is one threat to push us away from a free, independent press and into a press that is controlled. The YUNity Project is a shining example of a good, responsible use of our freedom of the press. This mission is not something that should be taken lightly; rather, it is up to each and every one of us to protect and fight for the liberties granted to us, for we do not know whether the same liberties we have today will be there tomorrow.