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This week both houses of Congress passed the Homeland Security Act, which will result in the biggest overhaul of the federal bureaucracy in 50 years. The Act will have broad ramifications—from the relationship of the federal government with its citizens, to suppressing previously public information. Bob speaks with Mark Tapscott, of the Center for Media and Public Policy at the Heritage Foundation, about his concerns surrounding the new circumstances of Homeland Security.
Over 100 journalists gathered this week to discuss the challenges they’ll face should they need to cover a war in Iraq. Among them were both hardened war correspondents and wartime cub reporters—and they’re all members of a newly formed group called Military Reporters and Editors, or MREs. Brooke speaks with Tom Ricks, Washington Post Military Reporter, about the MREs conference.
Some military reporters are gearing up by attending the Pentagon’s reporter training sessions. Sig Christenson, military reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and member of MREs, speaks with Brooke from the frontline of training for military journalists.
Next time you’re at the newsstand, take a look for a minority cover girl. Chances are, you won’t find one. According to a New York Times study, people of color are substantially underrepresented on most magazine covers. When Halle Berry appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan, she was only the fifth black woman ever to show up there, and the first since Naomi Campbell in 1990. Bob speaks with Times reporter David Carr about the absence of non-white faces on magazine covers.
For a lot of sports fans, ESPN’s "SportsCenter" is a must-see on Sunday nights. One of the main attractions? Co-host Stuart Scott. He’s best-known for punctuating plays with a "Boo-yaa!" or "Hollaaa!!" but where does Scott’s infectious hip-hop lingo come from, and why does he use it? OTM’s Leon Wynter reports.
This week, Marvel Comics kicked off a series that re-imagines the classic hero, Captain America. "Truth: Red, White and Black" begins with the revelation that blond-haired, blue-eyed Steve Rogers was not the first American to be injected with the Army’s Super-Soldier serum. Instead, the truth comes out that the Army had tested the serum on African American GIs long before then—which means that there is a black Captain America, whose existence was a secret until now. Brooke speaks with Axel Alonso, editor of "Truth: Red, White and Black," and Kyle Baker, artist.
Until just about a week before the announcement that New York City would host the 2012 Summer Olympics, most New Yorkers didn’t even know their city was in the running. Organizers insist that locals are in favor of hosting the international event, but many still have questions. As the public tried to figure out how hosting the Summer Games will affect them, they’re coming across an unexpected source of skepticism: the New York sports media. OTM’s John Solomon reports.
Shot at the actual scenes of the mass murders of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, "100 Days in Rwanda" is a new film about the horror that took place there. Before "100 Days," director and co-producer Nick Hughes had already made documentaries about the genocide—but in this new endeavor, he and co-producer Eric Kabera created a historical fiction, using a love story to humanize the slaughter. Brooke speaks with Hughes about "100 Days in Rwanda."
Highlights from Past Shows
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the National Association of Black Journalists called on media outlets to refer to people fleeing New Orleans as "evacuees," rather than "refugees." Many complied, but others, after consulting their dictionaries and style guides, decided the new term lacked the scope befitting a national catastrophe. Bob examines the debate and discovers that even in the midst of a crisis, language can be critical.
To celebrate their two-year anniversary as the hosts of On The Media - and two years of skewering the rest of the media - Brooke and Bob decided to turn the scalpel on themselves and public radio. Together with the staff of OTM they have produced "Pledge This!", an extended parody, for your listening pleasure.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
