Critics of big media, thus far focused mainly on the FCC, have taken their fight to the FTC. MoveOn.org and Common Cause this week asked the Federal Trade Commission to strip Fox News of its "Fair and Balanced" slogan on the grounds that it amounts to false advertising. It's the latest in a full scale assault against the network by hardcore progressives. But might it also signal the advent of media issues in mainstream political discourse? Brooke talks to Democratic pollster Paul Maslin about how liberals are taking back a cause dominated for years by conservatives.
There's a mutiny afoot at the Voice of America. This month, about half of VOA's staffers petitioned Congress, charging the agency's overseers, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, with irresponsibly dismantling the 62-year old service. Chief among their concerns is BBG’s decision to replace VOA's Arabic service with the much more expensive Radio Sawa, which is heavy on pop music and light on news. BBG Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson joins Brooke to explain his vision for the future of international broadcasting.
The disgruntlement that's boiled over at the Voice of America has been brewing for years. Since 9/11, many staffers have felt that the editorial firewall between the government and VOA's journalists has been steadily crumbling. Brooke speaks with former VOA Acting Director Myrna Whitworth, who was replaced after she defied the State Department and broadcast an interview with Taliban leader Mullah Omar in 2001.
From MTV to Jack Daniels to Pizza Hut, it's not hard to market American products overseas. But that doesn't mean it's easy to sell America itself. In March, Bob explored how business strategies could be used by diplomats to exchange Brand America for the hearts and minds of the rest of the world.
How scared should we really be about thieves accessing our credit card bills? And how has the growing reach of the internet affected the limits of our privacy? Steven Rambam, a private investigator who makes heavy use of online databases in his daily work, has some disturbing answers. He gives Brooke the willies with disturbing stories about the federal government, the internet… and her social security number.
You've probably had this problem: Somebody forwards you a story from a major newspaper, you click on the link, and the page opens up. But before you can read the story, you need to answer some basic, but increasingly irritating questions. Wired News reporter Rachel Metz tells Bob about a number of Internet resources that can help you get around these exasperating roadblocks.
This weekend The Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club gathers for its annual convention in New York City. Few films can claim Rocky Horror's cult pedigree, but that doesn't mean that they don't try. And as their newfound Hollywood appeal illustrates, the idea of what makes a cult movie is still evolving. OTM's Derek John reports on the cult films of a DVD generation.
Highlights from Past Shows
With both halves of the Democratic presidential ticket accounted for, campaign season is finally in full swing. There wasn't much novelty in the substance of the candidates' stump speeches this week. But when it came to the ever-important war of images, it was clear that at least one major element of the race is still up for grabs. Namely, says Paul Waldman, editor-in-chief of The Gadflyer, the character flaw that will ultimately define John Kerry. Waldman and Brooke look at how the two campaigns have used the media to define the top John.
The metaphor of the week was "last piece in the puzzle." The piece in question was Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, newly anointed contender for vice president. And "the pick" was the news that kept on giving. From Tuesday morning, when Senator Kerry made his choice known, through this Sunday, when the two Johns will appear together on 60 Minutes, the new look of the presumptive Democratic ticket dominated headlines, thanks to a carefully crafted media strategy of photo-friendly events spread over the course of the week. Brooke and Bob recap.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
