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Capitalizing on the popularity of reality television, cable TV’s Bravo has launched “Tabloid Wars,” a program that goes inside the New York Daily News and follows reporters out on the street. The series is likely to find – or make – heroes of several of the ink-stained wretches who chronicle city life. Brooke heads to the Daily News newsroom to find out how the hometown paper coped with cameras.
In the past few years, the Ombudsman has enjoyed a renaissance, of sorts, in the news business. But long before Jayson Blair, NPR had its own internal watchdog – Jeffrey Dvorkin. And over the years, we’ve had our own share of beefs with his beefs. Dvorkin pauses on his way out the door for a brief chat with OTM’s Mike Pesca about his tenure.
On Tuesday, veteran CBS newsman Dan Rather announced that he’s leaving the network once and for all. Over the course of his 24 years behind the evening news desk, Rather's critics have found plenty to take issue with. But where some see bias, Brooke sees the sincere – if overly raw – expressions of a man who just couldn't keep his feelings to himself
A reporter’s stories are only as deep as his or her rolodex. And so one news organization is using new technology to make its rolodex as vast as possible. The project is called Public Insight Journalism, and it’s being spearheaded by Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media. Bob speaks with MPR managing director of news Michael Skoler about the value of 19 thousand sources, all in one place.
Comedy Central is spoofing the news again, this time with a fictional Spokane-based news team that interacts with real-life sources not in on the joke. It’s called “Dog Bites Man,” and for some, it’s hitting a little too close to home. Spokane Public Radio’s Janean Jorgensen is concerned about the show’s impact on her newsroom’s credibility. Brooke addresses those concerns with DBM executive producer Dan Mazer.
In the late 1970s, Mexican telenovela writer Miguel Sabido invented the “soap opera for social change.” Since then, awareness organizations around the world have used Sabido-style soap operas to broadcast their message to millions of viewers. Brooke speaks with New Yorker contributor Hanna Rosin, who recently wrote about consciousness-raising through TV-storytelling.
To the pediatric establishment, no amount of TV is healthy for children under two. But this week we were reminded what a pipe dream that recommendation is. The creators of the new channel BabyFirst TV say that as long as toddlers are tuning in, they may as well be watching age-appropriate content. Bob speaks with BabyFirst TV co-founder Sharon Rechter.
The major networks have seen their share of turmoil in the past year. The three nightly newscasts are each fronted by new faces. NBC, the longtime ratings king, has slumped to fourth place, behind Fox. CBS, a decade-long loser, has taken the lead. Behind every ratings rise and fall, every hit and miss, there’s plenty of drama, but not a lot planning. Bill Carter, TV reporter for The New York Times, talks with Bob about his new book Desperate Networks.
