Opinion
Jim VandeHei: A message to college students (Part III)
The Axios CEO offers ways to think more clearly and calmly about politics and civic life.
Tamara Lamia puts her voting sticker after casting her ballot at the Israel Baptist Church in Kirkwood during the Georgia Public Service Commission’s special election at Ron Anderson Community Center in Cobb County on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Editor’s note: Axios CEO Jim VandeHei wrote three essays as a message to college students between Sept. 2 and 9, prior to the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The AJC is republishing them as the thoughts are even more poignant now in an era of political division. The AJC and Cox are both part of Cox Enterprises, Inc. This is Part III.
We cover politics clinically, not ideologically. So it’s not our job or mission to offer policy or political advice.
But thousands of you asked for thoughts on how college kids — or anyone, really — can truly think differently, or more calmly, about politics in charged moments.
Jim VandeHei is the co-founder and chief executive of Axios. (Jared Soares/New York Times 2022)
So here are eight clinical, nonideological changes you could make today:
- Vote. Ya don’t get to whine if ya don’t get in line — and vote. The presidency, Congress, and many state and local races come down to thousands of votes. So, yes, your vote often matters. Yet outside of presidential elections, most don’t even try. The good news: Presidential turnout was roughly 65% of eligible voters in 2024. Not too shabby. But less than half of adults vote in congressional races. Average turnout in state and local races? 15%-30%. A big uprising by like-minded people can literally shape politics at federal, state and local levels.
- Serve. Less than 1% of Americans go into the military. Our best and brightest aren’t choosing government instead. They’re going into the private sector, while holding an increasingly sour view of government competence. I can tell you this as someone who started and runs companies: You’re only as good as your talent. So unless a lot more talented, well-intentioned people choose service, the country suffers. Somehow, we need to make this prestigious and valiant again. It might take mandatory service programs, but that’s not happening anytime soon. So, volunteer.
- Get informed. I’m horrified by how many people argue about policies or politics without knowing the facts, history or context. Don’t Be That Person. Take the time to understand governance based on what you know, not how you feel. Read trustworthy news more regularly, dig a little deeper if you don’t understand. Find sources — media, podcasts, friends or family — who routinely demonstrate clinical, fact-based understanding of big issues.
- Pop your bubble. Take time to understand views or people you oppose — or even loathe. To our liberal readers, watch or listen to hard-core Trumpers like Steve Bannon or the late Charlie Kirk, and conservatives with more mixed views of Trump like Ben Shapiro or Bari Weiss. To our conservative readers, read or listen to New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, mainstream Democrats like the Pod Save America guys, or proud progressives like Rachel Maddow.
- Share knowledge, not noise. One massive, easy change all of you can make: Stop sharing stuff you didn’t read or authenticate. It’s wild how many people share things on social media based on a headline or even one word that juiced their dopamine and rage. Stop! And then start sharing fact-based, useful information that might actually help others better understand the inherent complexities of issues. When in doubt, share nothing.
- Give yourself a reality check. Take to heart our message that politicians and your social media feed are designed to make things feel more hateful and hopeless than they actually are. Then, realize a lot of social media accounts are bots controlled by foreign countries and other scumbags playing to your worst impulses. Social media is not reality. Put down your phone. Clean up your feed (who and what you follow). Stay alert and clear-eyed when scrolling.
- Fix your politics diet. We co-founded Politico and Axios, where the vast majority of our traffic and money comes from people reading political and policy coverage. So my advice might shock you (or rattle our bean counters!): Stop reading so much politics. This stuff used to be boring and consumed in small quantities. Our brains (and mental health) aren’t built to marinate in politics all day, every day. Everything in moderation, especially politics.
- Widen your eyes. Everyone is hopped up about political change. But there are three or four tectonic shifts unfolding that might be bigger and more lasting than today’s politics: AI, media, China and birth rates. Take time to read up and think about how AI might be more impactful than the internet ... how media is being shattered into scores of ecosystems, shaping realities based on people’s age, profession and politics ... how China represents the biggest threat to America’s dominance in a century-plus ... and the consequences of people having fewer babies — not just here, but in most advanced nations.
The big picture: There are clear alternatives to disengaging or doom-sharing. You simply need to choose them.
Tell Jim what you REALLY think: jim@axios.com.
