We're often told that John Kerry has won 15 out of 17 states in his quest to be the Democratic nomination. But might the common parlance of the campaign horse race be a bit misleading? In November's presidential election, candidates win states. But in the primaries, they win delegates. NPR's Mike Pesca joins Brooke from the campaign trail to vent about this and other media misunderstandings.
It has become almost trite to observe that TV coverage of election campaigns obsesses on the horserace, to the exclusion of the underlying issues. But a new study by mediachannel.org quantifies the substance gap. MediaChannel concluded that in January, the big three news networks devoted less than 5% of their campaign coverage to the five issues voters say matter most. MediaChannel Executive Director Timothy Karr joins Bob to discuss the study.
Last March, journalists were gearing up to accompany U.S. troops into battle in Iraq. Eleven months thence, actors are gearing up to portray those journalists, albeit with a more satiric edge. In his new play "Embedded" - which opens on Tuesday in New York - actor and playwright Tim Robbins riffs on the Bush administration, the war media, and the interplay between the two. Robbins talks to Brooke about his inspiration for the play, and about how much truth needs to be embedded in satire to make it work.
Brooke and Bob read from listeners' letters.
When an SUV is unveiled for the press, no expense is spared. Reporters are flown in to resorts with breathtaking backdrops, where the vehicles are photographed and where the critics revel in the finest that consumer reporting has to offer. Brooke talks with Keith Bradsher, author of "High And Mighty" and former Detroit bureau chief for the New York Times, about the many costs of criticizing SUVs.
How do you sell an enormously oversized vehicle with awful gas mileage and a price tag of 50 thousand dollars? You appeal to people's most basic fears and desires. That's according to Clotaire Rapaille, a medical anthropologist and SUV marketing consultant. He chats with Bob about GM's advertising campaign for the Hummer.
Since the dawn of the home video era, delay of gratification has been the rule for those who want to watch a new film in their living room. But a couple of entrepreneurs are trying to change that. And their interest doesn't stop with film distribution. They've created a new company to create high-definition movies, and bought the nation's largest art house move chain to show them in. KERA's Catherine Cuellar reports from Dallas.
HDTV, the technology long just around the corner, is finally a reality for anybody willing to pony up about a grand for a new set. For many viewers, HDTV's crystal-clear resolution has revolutionized the TV experience. But for others, like actors with hitherto imperceptible facial blemishes, it has brought unintended consequences. So there's a second revolution afoot - in the makeup profession. Bob talks to makeup artist Marianne Skiba about how her industry is coping with the new technology.
Highlights from Past Shows
The fallout from Janet Jackson's infamous Superbowl fallout has moved to Capitol Hill, where Congress is holding impassioned hearings on new penalties for indecency on the airwaves. But a much more compelling threat to broadcasters might not come from the government at all. This week, cable giant Comcast announced that it's setting its sights on the Walt Disney Co. - owner of ABC and ESPN, among others - and Disney went on the defensive against a hostile takeover bid. Bob talks to George Mannes, senior writer at thestreet.com.
The NFL called it offensive and inappropriate. CBS says the network is angry and embarrassed. FCC Chairman Michael Powell called it classless, crass and deplorable. We refer, of course, to the show-stopping exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during this year's Superbowl. But other than indignant huffing, how much can federal regulators really do about the fleshy halftime spectacle? Bob talks to New America Foundation fellow Alicia Mundy about the possible implications for broadcasters.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
