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These days, there seems to be no shortage of government officials who would prefer a media-free democracy. But for much of American history, Congress and the press have existed symbiotically, with each alternatively shaping the actions of the other. National Security Archive founder Scott Armstrong joins Brooke to discuss the recent breakdown in this symbiosis, and the consequences for the democratic process.
There are those who believe the moon walk was faked in a studio, and still more who have spotted U.F.O's in the night skies. But Rice University anthropologist George Marcus isn't interested in fringe theorists. He's fascinated by those times when conspiracy theory is taken up by reasonable people to explain real events when the official explanation just doesn't hold together. He discusses his ideas with Brooke.
'Tis the season of campaigning for big-time office, and the media are once again swimming in returns from public opinion polls. But even when election season is over, the polls will continue. It's no secret that pollsters can - and often do - manipulate their surveys to show whatever they want them to show. So then shouldn't journalists be extra careful with their reporting of poll results, or at least make the underlying science of polling absolutely clear to the public? Bob weighs in on the dangers of polling without the honest brokership of the media.
Speaking of polls, many of them show that local TV is America's prime source of information about local government. But a recent study found that in the weeks leading up to the 2002 elections, about half of the local newscasts in the top 50 markets didn't air a single story on any campaign. OTM's Paul Ingles reports on why some news departments steer away from political coverage, while others break new ground in the area.
For almost 25 years, C-Span has been bringing cable viewers the action from the Congressional floor. The network now has three stations of unedited public events, call-ins, and book talks, all offered by cable providers as a free public service. But competition for space on the digital bandwidth is tight, and some cable systems are now dropping one or all of the C-Span channels in favor of revenue-earning fare. Bob speaks with Paul Miller of Citizens for C-Span, the group fighting for your right to watch subcommittee hearings.
In 1949, the FCC decided that broadcasters, as "public trustees," were responsible for airing a diversity of viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance. But in the deregulatory sweep of the 80s, the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" went out the door. What would happen if the Doctrine were revived today? Brooke speculates with Mark Fowler, who chaired the FCC under Reagan, and Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who wants the Doctrine back.
After a long week analyzing the media, Bob and Brooke like to unwind with a good sing-a-long. They wanted to share this one about the FCC, with you.
Highlights from Past ShowsOn Oct. 13th, the Washington Times reported a soldier as having said, "if one person dies, five or six are getting wounded....but people are only hearing about the one man who is killed.” In fact, as of October 30th the total number of American soldiers wounded since the war began has reached 2084. That’s 1745 wounded in hostile combat and 339 in non-hostile action. New Republic senior editor Lawrence Kaplan recently wrote on “America’s near-invisible wounded.” Bob speaks with Kaplan about covering the wounded and why the media seem to be steering clear.
As President Bush bounced through East Asia this week, the international media was abuzz with reactions to Malaysian Prime Minister's assertion that Jews rule the world by proxy. But across the Arab world, a parallel scandal was roiling editorial pages, as journalists chewed over revelations that U.S. Army Lieutenant General William Boykin saw the War on Terror as a clash between Christians and Satan. UPI Chief Correspondent Martin Walker gives Bob a glimpse from the world press.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
