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Journalists covering the 2008 presidential race have spent the past year-and-a-half obsessing over every incremental development. But after Thursday's caucus in Iowa they can finally respond to actual voting. Mark Jurkowitz of the Project for Excellence in Journalism took a look at some of the coverage.
Political fortunes may still be fuzzy after the Iowa caucuses, but one thing is clear: the candidates spent an unprecedented amount on advertising. Iowan Bruce Gronbeck, professor of political rhetoric and media, has been watching the ads. He explains what caucus goers and the candidates got for the money.
In the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, the Pakistani press faced the question of how to remember her. Was she a symbol of hope for Pakistan’s future or a corrupt figure from the past? The Christian Science Monitor’s Shahan Mufti describes coverage of Bhutto’s life and death in the Pakistani media.
For decades, the consumption of news has complicated our consumption of food. So says Michael Pollan, professor of science and environmental journalism. He explains how health studies, the reporters who love them and especially food labels have left us poorly fed and informed.
Americans overwhelmed by a glut of nutritional suggestions may have hope. The food industry is searching for a new way to standardize such information. The University of Washington's Adam Drewnowski has created his own 100-point system for rating food, which may find its way to your grocery shelves soon.
Now in its third month, the Writers Guild strike pits studio honchos against those who pen their programs – with advertisers caught in the middle. Jack Myers, of the Media Business Report, believes this game of chicken may last well into the summer.
Computer scientist Gordon Bell is at the vanguard of a movement called "lifelogging," digitally recording every moment of his day in an effort to create a complete virtual memory of his life. But why? We talk with Bell and also technology writer Clive Thompson about the implications.
Listen to Brooke's unedited interview with Clive Thompson here.
Highlights from Past Shows
From Giuliani’s “Leadership” to Clinton’s “Living History,” having a book - or two or three - seems like a prerequisite for candidacy in 2008. Emily Heil of the congressional newspaper Roll Call has read a whole stack of them - so you don't have to.
It's that time of year, when presidential candidates' thoughts turn to misstatements of fact. But with more and more news outlets taking the pols to task for their public speeches and ads, might accuracy be gaining the upper hand? Brooks Jackson, director of factcheck.org, explains his quest to make the political landscape a more truthful place.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
