In his monologue at the White House Correspondents Dinner, comedian Hasan Minhaj highlighted the importance of the First Amendment during times of blinding, polarized politics, a message that resonated with me on a distinctly personal level.

As a high school journalist I strive to accurately inform my community about local news and developments. His words convincingly articulated that journalism has never been more important than it is now, not just to the industry veterans in the room, but to every reporter who seeks the truth.

The speech was a cold, honest wake up call to the national media. “We’re living in this strange time where trust is more important than truth. And And I know journalists, you guys are definitely trying to do good work. I just think that a lot of people don’t trust you right now,” he admitted.

I was impressed by his ability to take that rather grim message and turn it into something we could all sit back and laugh about. Minhaj sardonically acknowledged the White House’s antagonistic tone towards the media, joking “your work is invaluable, and I mean that as a fake journalist.”

We live an era of citizens shaking their heads in disgust at the polarization of political debate: every media outlet seems intolerably biased, and it is impossible to know what’s credible. So we cover our ears and bury our heads between our knees to drown out the incessant bickering.

In response, Minhaj seemed to ask an important question: how should the press behave in this extraordinarily alienating political climate?

“You gotta be on your A game,” he answered. “You gotta be twice as good. You can’t make any mistakes.”

Sure, he may have been directly addressing the major national news publications, but the monologue’s advice travels far beyond those in the room.

He stressed just how significant the First Amendment stands in our bizarre political landscape, and I too understand the necessity for all publications, including my own, to engage in frequent, meaningful contact with their readers.

Here at The Hawkeye, that means revamping our online presence, establishing an insightful, informative, and beneficial dialogue with our local community.

If we want to keep our  people aware of the changes happening around them, we should not let political polarization weaken the necessary bonds that news organizations form with the public.

Minhaj is absolutely right. All journalists should think about the implication of his speech in the ways that the media functions as a linkage institution. And me?

I plan to make The Hawkeye a publication that illuminates our community’s awareness of current events.

That’s the power of the First Amendment, and it matters now more than ever.