Media

The #OKC Tornado On Twitter

Virginia Prescott and Brady Carlson — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:57:07 +0000

Brady Carlson joins us to talk about social media's reaction to the devastating tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma.

Why No "National Tragedy" Label For The New Orleans Shootings?

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:03:55 +0000

From the Newtown shootings to the Boston marathon bombings, the last year has seen no shortage of tragic acts of violence that have dominated news coverage. But one story appeared as no more than a blip on the national news radar: that of a neighborhood mother’s day parade in New Orleans, where shots were fired and 19 people were wounded. Two suspects were arrested late last week, but for days, the incident stood as the largest mass shooting in the United States with perpetrators still at large – so why weren’t we bombarded with media coverage? Our guest is David Dennis Jr., a journalist and New Orleans native who wrote about the issue for the UK Guardian.

Is Journalism's "Golden Age" A Myth?

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:34:26 +0000

After every errant tweet from another major news outlet, or the announcement of fresh layoffs from another print newsroom, many shake their heads and talk about the good old days, before false reports of WMD’s and internet news aggregators. We remember a time when Edward R. Murrow and other icons of objectivity were our revered national watchdogs, serving up the truth...one newspaper column or TV broadcast at a time. But what if our idealistic view of American journalism's "golden age" is nothing but a nostalgic myth? Todd Gitlin teaches journalism and communications at Columbia University. His recent article “The Myth of Journalism’s Golden Age” was recently featured in the Utne Reader.

Crisis Coverage In Real Time.

Brady Carlson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Last week’s bombing and the search for the bombers kept many of us glued to the news, with constant updates on TV, radio, news web pages, and social media .

Media Obsession: Pageant Queens And Pornography

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:18:42 +0000

Once upon a time, Miss America ranked alongside the Superbowl and the Academy Awards as one of the most anticipated broadcasts of the year. But in 2012, 2.8 million viewers watched the nation’s best-known pageant… more than twice that number tuned in to see the Downton Abbey third season premier.

And yet, a recent story of a disgraced pageant queen has gone viral –attracting far more attention than she ever received by winning a pageant in the first place.

The Uncertain Future Of Backyard News

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:37:33 +0000

A number of major newspapers have stopped the presses in recent years. Meanwhile, community journalism sites have sprung up from Seattle to Springfield. Media gurus declared “hyperlocalism” to be the future of journalism and a path for out-of-work reporters. A few big ticket news outfits took that bet, including AOL, which launched Patch.com in 2010. A few years on, hyper-local phenomenon takes many forms, with differing degrees of success. AOL reported losing $147 million dollars on Patch in 2011, so maybe news of town hall meetings, police blotter reports, and high school sports might not be as bankable as once thought.

The News That Got Buried Under The Fiscal Cliff

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:29:59 +0000

The last few weeks of 2012 were dominated by media coverage of the fiscal cliff crisis. News outlets covered everything from the projected impact of the cliff to shouting matches between legislators. Lost in the mix throughout the crisis were important, but less sensational news stories. Joshua Keating is an associate editor at Foreign Policy and he joins us to talk about some of these backseat news items.

Nashua Telegraph Hopes To Keep "Voice" of Area If Sold

Brady Carlson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:22:50 +0000

We’re starting 2013 with a big story in New Hampshire media – the owners of the Nashua Telegraph, the second largest daily in the state, are putting that newspaper up for sale.

Slow News Is Good News on GoKicker

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:20:54 +0000

A 2007 study by Harvard University found that the rank and file of “Generation Y” is consistently less engaged and less knowledgeable about current events than their elders. Former New York Times editor and entrepreneur, Holly Ojalvo, is looking to staunch the growing tide of current events ignorance. She’s the founder and editor-in-chief of GoKicker.com, a website that’s adapting the news cycle for the 35-and-younger set.

The Secret Servers

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:31:15 +0000

Every Google search, every saved photograph, streamed song, text message and each stroke of the e-mail send button is served and stored on a digital infrastructure that is – to the end user – invisible. The New York Times has spent a year investigating the tens of thousands of data centers that support the information industry, and discovered a secretive, power-sucking infrastructure sharply at odds with its sle

Ira Flatow: Live at UNH

Brady Carlson — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:38:30 +0000

A special broadcast of NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday host Ira Flatow, recorded in front of a live audience at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Huckabee Pledges More Civil Alternative To Limbaugh

David Folkenflik — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:17:00 +0000

Mike Huckabee fell short four years ago in his quest to become the Republican presidential nominee. As of this week, the former Arkansas governor has a new job: national radio talk show host.

The Mike Huckabee Show started Monday with an anticipatory flourish.

"Welcome to the community of conversation. You've just made a right turn, and you've arrived at the corner of conservatism and common sense," he said. "In this show, we're going to be confronting the issues — not the listeners."

Huckabee is no media novice. He has been on the radio since he was a teenager.

Paintball Journalism? Former Ranger, Journalists Trade Shots With Hezbollah

Mark Memmott — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

"Paintballing With Hezbollah Is The Path Straight To Their Hearts," says the headline at the Vice.com newssite.

In a quest to get to better know members of the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, four Western journalists and a former U.S.

The Roots Of An Empire: Rupert Murdoch's Australia

David Folkenflik — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:49:00 +0000

First of four parts

Ultimately, all roads lead home for Rupert Murdoch.

"The story of our company is the stuff of legend: from a small newspaper in Adelaide to a global corporation based in New York, with a market capitalization of about $44 billion," he said last October, when he addressed a News Corp. shareholders meeting in Los Angeles.

Australians view the company's history differently.

"Adelaide is irrelevant to it," says Graeme Samuel, the former chairman of the powerful Australian agency that regulates antitrust and media issues.

Is It Time To Tone Down The Tiger Woods Coverage?

Frank Deford — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Hearing about golf these past couple of years has turned into some sort of dual universe. On the one hand there is the real world, like: "Smith and Jones Tied for Lead in Cat Food Open."

But then, in more detail, the larger shadow story reads: "Tiger's Putter Falters, Trails By 12 Strokes."

Golf has become like fantasy football or Rotisserie Baseball. Only, imagine if everybody has the same guy — Tiger Woods — on his team.