John Jorgenson has loved satire since he was young and bonded with his brothers over the comedic stylings of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Now, the psychology senior is one of the minds behind the Cal Poly satirical online news publication, Maverick News, which officially launched in January.
“I like satire because it can be a positive force,” John Jorgenson said. “It’s not just pure silliness. You get to have a discussion about relevant problems. You get to be non-judgmental, but you get to take a stance.”
Jorgenson’s witty humor is conveyed through each headline he writes, such as:
“Musty the Mustang Releases Harrowing Tell-All Memoir”
“Top Ten Places to Make a Blood Sacrifice on Campus”
“It comes pretty naturally to me,” he said.
The publication pokes fun at Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo community. No one is safe from the jokes — not even President Armstrong.
Did the university president actually offer to take students out for a steak dinner to combat food insecurity? No. Did Maverick News write a story about it? Yes.
“Making fun of the authority figures or the majority, I would say that’s the most important tenet of satire,” John Jorgenson said.
The page’s design is based on that of Mustang News, which was an intentional choice.
“It was important for it to look like Mustang News,” John Jorgenson said. “You need a certain level of verisimilitude. It’s funnier when it feels more real.”
The publication is made up of a core team of four with occasional contributors.
Immediately upon opening the website, viewers can see realistic photos created by AI software that match the outrageous headlines. Imagine, a giant block of tofu on Dexter Lawn or the Cal Poly Mycology Club seeing a mythical blue lizard. Maverick News makes those dreams come to life.
Jorgenson began his satire career in high school when he submitted a humorous piece to his school’s newspaper about the 2020 Republican presidential candidates. During his college career, he noticed a gap in the Cal Poly media – satire – and knew he could help fill it.
“I felt that there are things that you can say with satire that you don’t really get to say with traditional journalism,” he said.
In the beginning stages of Maverick News, John’s brother Timothy Jorgenson came across some of the satirical work on John’s laptop. The plant science sophomore read John’s work behind his back and couldn’t get enough. Now, Timothy writes for Maverick News, too.
The brothers have a very similar sense of humor after growing up together, watching the same comedians. This makes their creative process all the more natural for them.
“The way we do the articles is basically just how we joke around in the first place, casually,” Timothy said.
While the brothers sometimes have their creative differences, Timothy said that it will never be an issue in the long run.
“We can’t ever really be at war because we have to see each other at Thanksgiving,” he said.
The two work better together. Timothy is especially proud of his article about the Cal Poly aerospace program planning to lasso the moon, which he co-wrote with his brother.
“It was fun, working on it with John,” Timothy said. “That was just a good laugh.”
The overall feedback from the community was positive – almost too positive, according to John. He thinks their jokes might not be hitting deep enough.
“I’m kind of looking forward to the day that somebody doesn’t like something,” he said.
Mustang News Editor-in-Chief Chloe Lovejoy welcomes Maverick News’ contribution to the overall SLO media landscape. She recalls first seeing the website while with the Mustang News editors and it gave them a good laugh. She sees the satirical plays on their articles as a compliment.
“It’s cool to see that people are reading our articles and then considering them for a parody,” Lovejoy said.
Timothy Jorgenson embraces the positive reactions, relieved that no one has been too offended yet.
“I’m glad they don’t hate us for it, nice outcome,” he said.
John is grateful for the community that satire has given him, connecting him to the rest of SLO.
“I feel proud that we have created a space for humor and silliness,” he said.