President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has drained ink levels nationwide, but does one headline offer me any more than another?

As a member of Coppell High School’s newspaper program, The Sidekick, I am bound by the tenets of objective journalism, constantly juggling facts and interpretation. However, as a 17-year-old, I often crave the complexities that bias introduces—the subtle nuances that ignite a passion amidst the confines of conventionality.

With many students on the cusp of adulthood, political literacy remains fragmented at best. Raised in the digital age, Generation Z has been inundated with an onslaught of information, yet ironically we lack the tools to interpret it effectively. The overwhelming volume of media coverage blurs the line between what should resonate with new voters and what becomes yet another swipe on TikTok.

So, how does one change a demographic that can muster a smile beneath the glowing haze of a cell phone, yet carry a physical presence likened to that of a black hole (devoid and silent)?

The answer lies in history class.

In my AP U.S. History class, we studied political cartoons to dissect the implications of laissez-faire economics during the Gilded Age. Each drawing reflected the ideology of the artist. “A tournament of today – A Set-To Between Labor and Monopoly,” portrays a duel in which the monopolist holds a clear advantage over the ill-fated laborer. The size disparity between the contenders exposes the unchecked power of industrial trusts, peeling back layers of symbolism to reveal a marginalized narrative.

And, while one can argue Friedrich Graetz’s apparent favor towards the weaker contingent sways viewers to comply with his stance on big business, it forces engagement with an overlooked perspective.

“History is not all just one story,” AP U.S. History and IB History of the Americas teacher Joshua Chanin said. “It is multiple stories from multiple different perspectives. By looking at these cartoons you are able to get a well rounded picture of what actually happened during that time period.”

As technology developed over the course of the 20th century, so did the mediums of mass communication. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s fireside chats reassured radio listeners throughout the Great Depression and World War II, while television fostered a shared experience through news coverage and entertainment culture.

Recently, the White House announced that news outlets covering the president will be restricted to a selective pool.

I believe in the autonomy of interpretation. Media should have the ability to dictate analysis, not belief.

While political cartoons appear less frequently amidst the rise of social media platforms that revolve around mass engagement, their ability to distill complex issues into witty, introspective content gives them the potential to remain relevant in an era dominated by digital material. Political cartoons present as a tool to cultivate independent judgement, turning over political discourse to form opinions based on visual criticisms.

Imagine being able to say, “I decided not to vote for candidate ‘X’ because, after analyzing ‘Lost and (Almost) Found: An Orphan Political Cartoon,’ I noticed how he shifted all his economic issues onto his successor.”

As we look ahead, I hope to rely on political cartoons for when I am actually able to fulfill my duty as an American citizen and cast my ballot.

Follow @CHSCampusNews on X.