Politics and Polarization: A Conversation with Jon Delano ’71

On Thursday, September 18, veteran political commentator Jon Delano ’71—a longtime KDKA-TV journalist and one of Pennsylvania’s most-watched election analysts—joined Professor Steve McGovern, Chair of the Political Science Department, for a packed, 90-minute moderated discussion and extensive student Q&A in Hilles. The conversation covered topics ranging from Vietnam-era activism to today’s fractured media ecosystem, including why voters cast their ballots the way they did in 2024 and what it will take to rebuild civic trust. 

Delano, who was on campus in part after his induction into the Silver Circle Society of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), framed his remarks through two perspectives: his experience as a Haverford student activist during the late 1960s and his decades of on-the-ground reporting across Pennsylvania. 

Delano recalled Haverford’s protests and moral debates over the draft, war, and dissent, noting the “politically tumultuous climate” that resembled today’s divisions. Professor McGovern added that “the level of polarization is similar to what it was back then,” even though the channels of conflict may look different now.

What’s new, Delano argued, is the accelerant of social media: an always-on news pipeline that rewards harsh, anonymous takes and discourages engagement with opposing views. In the 1960s, he said, the public didn’t repeatedly watch graphic violence on loop; today, the replay culture around political violence intensifies fear and outrage.

Asked about political pressure on the media, Delano warned that using federal power to penalize critics—including through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—raises a First Amendment concern that is distinct from earlier eras. He contrasted today’s consolidated media ownership with the era of local control, when newsroom judgment carried more weight. In his own career, he recalled moments when corporate leadership—not reporters—dictated the language and framing of coverage..

In response to a question from Professor Steve McGovern about the extent to which Trump supporters actually backed Trump’s agenda, Delano outlined three key groups within Trump’s 2024 coalition in Pennsylvania. The first included voters who perceived a loss of racial status and saw Trump as restoring their voice. The second group comprised traditionally pro-market Republicans willing to overlook his persona in favor of his economic record. The third consisted of disaffected Democrats who felt let down by unmet promises and remained unconvinced by Harris.

When a student asked, “Why be optimistic?”, Delano pointed to the next generation’s genuine interest in the country’s future and the organizing energy he sees in campus political clubs. The student, unconvinced, responded that their age group is left “cleaning up mistakes” without the resources to do so—an exchange that captured the evening’s tension between realism and hope.

Reporting by Siena Solis ‘28.