What I Cover
Chiefly, I cover how politics — specifically political groups, agendas, and ideas — appear on college campuses today. That means interviewing the founder of an advocacy organization for parents who think universities should do more to curtail antisemitism, investigating how a little-known nonprofit with conservative ties lobbied a public flagship in Florida to kickstart a Western civics center, and describing how Republicans in northern Idaho waged a campaign against their local community college.
I am also curious about existential questions facing colleges. For example, in an era of endless belt-tightening, how much can a university cut before it loses its ability to fulfill its mission? And, when it comes to running a department, when does avoiding conflict morph into abandoning academic freedom?
Last but not least, I enjoy writing about the quirkier side of higher ed. One of my favorite stories is about a professor at the Johns Hopkins University who has a side gig as a reality-television star.
My Background
Before joining The Chronicle in 2018, I reported on county government and breaking news for The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, based in Little Rock. There, I won several feature-writing awards and was named the 2017 Outstanding New Journalist by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Before that, I attended Villanova University, where I studied English and political science. I became a journalist because I’m good with deadlines and bad with monotony. My dad also had something to do with it. Growing up, he’d ask me to come up with metaphors for the moon on our early-morning drives.
I have appeared on local National Public Radio stations and on podcasts to talk about my work. In 2022, I was an Education Writers Association reporting fellow. My resulting article series examined the actions of the Johns Committee in Florida, a state-run investigative body that persecuted actual and suspected gay professors and students.
Connect
Email: emma.pettit@chronicle.com
Phone: 202-466-1044
Signal: emmapettit.31
X: @EmmaJanePettit
