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In the throes of the Beslan hostage catastrophe last week, the Russian government reverted to the standard procedure employed in previous crises: it lied. But is it possible that the latest embarrassment, which met with harsh criticism from much of the media, will finally coax the government into more honesty with its people? The Christian Science Monitor's Fred Weir tells Bob not to hold his breath.
Many commentators throughout the world, unsurprisingly, framed the slaughter at Beslan in the context of the global war on terrorism. What was surprising was the sentiment of self-criticism that surfaced in some parts of the Arab media. Most notable was a column by the general manager of the Al-Arabiya satellite TV network, which urged Muslims to face up to the fact that most terrorists are Muslims. Bob talks to Slate contributor Lee Smith about what it might mean.
Thus far, the presidential campaign has been dominated by candidates sniping at each other from remote locations. But the luxury of monopolizing the podium won't last forever. And when the debates start up at the end of this month, the sparks are sure to fly. At least that's the view of The Atlantic Monthly's James Fallows, who tells Brooke that the vastly different debating styles of Bush and Kerry promise a clash of the titans. And neither is used to tasting defeat.
Hurricane season is only half-over and already dozens of Americans have been killed by two powerful storms. Now a third, nicknamed Ivan, is hurtling towards Florida, causing consternation on the part of everyone in its path. Everyone, that is, except for the media. Every hurricane season, local TV stations respond to competitive pressure with a toolbox full of clichés and hysterics. Journalist and novelist Carl Hiaasen joins Bob to itemize the silliness.
Last year, as the last hurricane with an "I" name bared down on the Carolina coast, TV viewers across the country could follow its every move. But why exactly did news organizations nowhere near Isabel's path feel the need to dispatch reporters to the center of the gale? Bob put the question to Larry Silbermann, news director of WTOC in Savannah, Georgia.
A good portion of 21st-century news consumers no longer believe in objectivity. They know it isn't possible. And yet the public expects reporters to always play it down the middle, delivering the facts and only the facts, unencumbered by bias. But to what lengths should reporters go? Can they report fairly on beats that encroach on their personal lives? Should they vote? Brooke canvassed an array of (objective) sources and compiled this report.
Television viewers under a certain age think of the big three broadcast networks as having existed since the dawn of time. A misconception, of course - but largely because of what it omits. In TV's earliest days, there was also the DuMont Network, a pioneering enterprise that aired some of its era's most popular programs. Bob talks history with David Weinstein, author of new book that chronicles the rise and fall of DuMont.
Highlights from Past ShowsGeorgia’s Democratic senator Zell Miller took the podium at the RNC this week to praise President Bush and condemn candidate Kerry’s record. The tirade set off a whirlwind of fact-checking hitherto invisible in the coverage of the convention speeches. Brooke muses on a possible change in the journalism ether.
The controversy around the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads posed a classic controversy for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. Should the candidate discredit the mudslingers before the mud sticks, or should he ignore what appears to be sideline noise, so as not to create something of nothing? Brooke talks to Chad Clanton, a senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, about the candidate's choices. She also examines the coverage of the brouhaha, which has included as much debate over the tactics of the ad campaign as its substance.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
