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On Monday, the world learned that the United States would soon have a new representative in charge of diplomacy abroad. What's been the reaction to National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice's ascension to Secretary of State? Brooke turns for answers to our trusty foreign media watcher UPI editor in chief Martin Walker.
And so Colin Powell won't be taking part in Bush Term Two. His legacy is uncertain, but while in office, he was by far the cabinet's most popular member. Sympathetic observers attribute Powell's positive ratings to his up-by-the-bootstraps bio, straight-talking manner, and air of loyalty. But might he have been more manipulative with the media than he is given credit for? Brooke examines the reality and representation of Colin Powell.
Last month, the FCC hit Fox stations with the largest ever aggregate fine for indecency on TV. The offending material was a scene on the short-lived reality show "Married by America," involving strippers and whipped cream. Regulators said the move was triggered by 159 citizen complaints. But Buzzmachine.com blogger Jeff Jarvis tells Bob that the actual number of angry missives was much, much smaller.
We've all by now heard about the sleeper factor in Election '04: moral values voters. But recently, some commentators have been questioning that explanation. They point to new data from the Pew Center showing that voters identify "moral values" as their biggest concern only when presented with a multiple choice questionnaire. Bob talks to Pew director Andrew Kohut about the sloppy origins of conventional wisdom.
Perhaps history will determine that the so-called values gap was a myth based on misleading exit-poll data. But even if the values gap is a myth, it's still likely that the media's knowledge gap about the American electorate is all too real. Peter Johnson, media columnist for USA Today, surveyed news managers in the midst of heavy soul searching, and reports his findings to Bob.
Question: What do you call the demographic of American Protestants with especially conservative social beliefs? Answer: Unclear. The group formerly known as the "Christian Right" has made it known that they'd rather be referred to as "Evangelicals." Not so fast, say liberal Evangelicals who vote Democratic, and who protest the tarnishing of their religion with politics. Brooke takes a closer look at a disputed moniker.
A reporter in Providence, Rhode Island this week joined the ranks of reporters facing jail time for refusing to disclose a confidential source. Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press executive director Lucy Dalglish weighs in on what it portends for the health of American journalism.
All's not well in Langley. That's the impression, at least, created by headlines in recent weeks. This week, two high-level CIA officials joined the exodus of malcontents from the agency that was triggered by the naming of Porter Goss as the CIA's new chief. But the way the story has unfolded tells us just as much about the workings of the often inscrutable press as it does about the CIA. Slate columnist Jack Shafer joins Brooke to anatomize the coverage.
There's been plenty of finger-pointing within America's intelligence community in the wake of 9/11 and the lead-up to war in Iraq. But the many failures of the CIA are not only worrying. They're also rather shocking. And that's because they contradict everything that books, TV, and movies have led us to believe about the world of spying. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports on spies - real and imaginary.
Highlights from Past ShowsFor months the news in Iraq has been of bombings and beheadings, ambushes and assassinations – a guerilla war defined by the guerillas. And then suddenly it was war once again – American style, or at least American media style. When the name of the siege of Fallujah was changed from Operation Phantom Fury to Operation Al-Fajr (or “New Dawn”), it became clear to Bob that the information warfare was going to be as fierce as the street.
It was the most important election, we were told, of our lifetimes. And as we anxiously watched the news anchors on Tuesday evening, they watched the exit polls with just as much anticipation. But unlike 2000, when the networks barged through the night to a premature declaration of victory for Gore, this time the watchword was caution. Bob sizes up the real-time coverage and assesses the lessons learned.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
