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In a rare prime-time press conference last week, President Bush again made his case for military action in Iraq. It left some observers scratching their heads and wondering who was to blame for the remarkable lack of information presented that evening - the Administration, or the media? Bob examines the role of the White House press corps on the brink of war.
With war negotiations grinding to a halt at the UN, impatience is beginning to set in among some of the US troops deployed around Iraq. And, by some accounts, among the reporters embedded with the troops. Brooke checks in with NPR's John Burnett on his fourth day in the Kuwaiti desert.
Two weeks ago, the London Observer printed a leaked memo showing that the U.S. was spying on UN officials who were equivocating on an Iraq invasion. The story has been notably absent from much of the US media. But former military man and Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg tells Brooke that it's the most important leak in decades - more important even than his own.
The long and bloody struggle for press freedom in Haiti saw a major setback last month when Radio Haiti was pulled off the air. The station's news director, Michele Montas, lost her husband to assassins three years ago and had been facing increasing threats on her own life and the lives of her reporters. Montas talks with Bob about her decision.
When a couple of Dutch filmmakers set out to make a documentary about North Korea, they were able to gain access to the country only by posing as part of a scientific delegation eager to see the glories of Pyongyang. The trip footage these "tourists" brought back reveals little about the reality of this impoverished nation…but then there's the narration. Director Peter Tetteroo tells Brooke about the clash of words and images in his film "Welcome to North Korea."
Columnists are often anchors in the sea of media chatter. But for those who look to their favorite pundits for guidance on global matters, the world is still as confusing as ever. Lately, a group of formerly hawkish professional opinion-makers have been taking a more dovish stance. Slate.com's Mickey Kaus chats with Brooke about the group of waverers he calls the "balkenhawken."
Journalists are only as good as their sources, which is why their potency is often measured by the size of their rolodexes. Why is it then, that so few experts are called upon again and again for quotes in scores of newspaper articles and TV news appearances? Maybe it has to do with going to that Rolodex too much for the same old sources. Bob looks into the practice of Rolodex journalism.
When reporters need an authoritative perspective, they turn to the "experts." Do these "opinions for hire" always believe what they are saying? Not necessarily. But they'll say it, if the price is right. That's according to consultant Steven Moss, who tells Brooke about the years when he was paid handsomely for his opinions on trains.
Highlights from Past ShowsMore 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.
Lately, 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.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
