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More than a quarter of a million American soldiers are deployed and ready for action in Iraq, and they're not alone. There are currently about 800 reporters, who have been prepped for the battlefield and assigned to specific military units. NPR's John Burnett is one of them, and gives Brooke a view from the ground in Kuwait.
You can't judge a book by its cover, but can you uncover a terrorist by his book? The creators of the USA Patriot Act thought so, and included a provision that makes it much easier for the FBI to get records of all the books a person has borrowed or bought. Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders is sponsoring legislation to overturn the provision, and tells Bob why.
In these anxiety-ridden times, are magazine readers looking for depth or for fluff? According to the latest audit of newsstand sales, the answer is…both. New York Times reporter David Carr joins Brooke to discuss how America's magazine-buying habits reflect the New World order.
The recent firing of a high-profile editor at Random House confirmed for many people the triumph of corporate philistines in the book industry over the defenders of literary values. Bob for one was ready to join the funeral procession…until he started poking around in New York's publishing world.
After taking a year long hiatus, Oprah's book club is back in business. But no longer will Oprah be the conduit between unknown authors and the bestseller list. This time around, she will be drawing exclusively from the canon of literary classics. Literary Agent Liza Dawson chats with Brooke about the newest incarnation of the club.
Industry observers have been anticipating a relaxation of media ownership rules by the Feds. But a recent surprise vote by the newest commissioner in an unrelated issue has many wondering which way that commissioner will swing when it comes to media deregulation. Cable World's senior editor Alicia Mundy fills Bob in on the latest intrigues in the FCC.
For Chicago's public housing residents, the biggest local story of the past few years has been the demolition of the city's infamous high-rise projects. One newspaper has diligently covered the story from the inside - literally. OTM's Ron Feemster has the story of The Residents' Journal - a paper that is written, edited, distributed and read by people who live in public housing.
Journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc set out to write about the life of a drug dealer. Instead, she ended up writing an expansive account of poverty in the South Bronx. Her book, Random Family, chronicles the daily lives of two Puerto Rican women, their extended families, and LeBlanc's intimate role in that network over a period of 11 years. She talks to Brooke about the process of writing from the inside.
Highlights from Past ShowsLately, a number of prominent celebrities have been adding their voices to the chorus of antiwar sentiment. But while familiar names may garner attention for the antiwar movement, could celebs be hurting the cause by attracting the wrong kind of attention? Slate.com's Rob Walker thinks so, and makes his case for Brooke.
Last week, millions of people around the world took to the streets to demonstrate against the looming war in Iraq. It has been called the largest coordinated anti-war protest ever. It was also the first protest in recent months to garner serious media attention. Editor & Publisher's Greg Mitchell joins Brooke to survey the coverage.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
