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Through much of George Bush's tenure, a common narrative has suggested that the president surrounds himself with smart advisors who really make the tough decisions. Recently, a new press narrative has emerged. Ron Suskind, Paul Begala and Ari Fleischer discuss Bush’s changing image.
Last summer, the documentary “March of the Penguins” made the bird a darling of the Christian Right. Now, with “Happy Feet,” the penguin finds itself a symbol of the environmental movement. Bob takes a look at the politics of the penguin.
If you ask Senator James Inhofe, outgoing chair of the committee for environmental oversight, who’s most at fault for global warming problems, he’s less likely to point at the energy industry than at the media industry. New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin explains why climate coverage makes it so easy for partisans to blame the messenger.
Read a book chapter by Revkin about the problems with climate coverage here. (Posted with permission of the National Association of Science Writers)
A few years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court started releasing same-day audio recordings of selected oral arguments. We get reactions from two legal correspondents. Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick wants all the tapes or none at all, but NPR’s Nina Totenberg says more tape means more headaches.
Watch out BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera, there’s a new 24-hour news channel in town. “France 24” launched this week. Journalism professor Jack Doppelt talks about the commercial viability of exporting Frenchness to the world.
The poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has news consumers transfixed in a state of suspenseful Cold War nostalgia. A couple of years ago, NPR's Jim Zarroli filed this report on spies – real and imaginary.
Highlights from Past Shows
This week, NBC started referring to the violence in Iraq as “civil war.” The New York Times cautiously edged closer to that terminology. NYT executive editor Bill Keller explains the editorial and political reasons for allowing reporters and editors to call it as they see it.
In considering Turkey’s application for membership, the European Union has identified a number of stumbling blocks. Among them is Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which criminalizes “insulting Turkishness” and is often used to prosecute writers and journalists. Bob traveled to Istanbul this month and brought back this report on Turkey’s commitment to freedom of expression.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
