And so Judith Miller sits in jail, for not revealing the source of information she never printed. Bob Novak, who did publish the information, appears to be in no trouble whatsoever. It's one of many bitter ironies in the Plame affair. Bob reflects on the exploitation of journalistic principle by Machiavellian scoundrels, and what might be done to prevent it in the future.
Internet users searching for news on the London bombings had plenty of mainstream media sites to turn to. And they had Wikipedia. Within hours of the attacks, the ever-dynamic website had developed one of the most comprehensive sources of information on the bombings, which, like everything else on Wiki, was written and edited entirely by volunteers. New media maven Clay Shirky joins Bob discuss what Wiki has to offer the news-scape.
If our major broadsheets seem to reflect a disproportionately affluent America, it may be because reporters and editors resemble their readership - a well-heeled demographic favored by newspaper advertisers. It's not surprising that these papers rarely take on the issue of class divisions. But over the past nine months, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have done exactly that. Brooke analyzes the papers' series on class with journalist and author Barbara Ehrenreich.
From the Cleavers to the Jeffersons and the Simpsons, the American dream has always been alive and well in the world of the TV family. But collectively, the sitcom breadwinners seem to be outpacing their real world counterparts. According to a survey by Salary.com, today’s TV dads earn twice as much as TV dads of the 1950s. Bob and Brooke muse on the representation of social mobility in sitcomlandia.
When Daniel Solis and Greg Stolze invented a game called "Meatbot Massacre," they weren't quite sure how to market it. So they decided to hold it ransom. When potential gamers had sent a total of $600 to the creators, the game was released to anyone who wanted to play it. Solis and Stolze explain their novel business model to Bob.
On the 80th anniversary of the Scopes monkey trial, we look back on the original trial of the century - a case that pitted Darwin against Adam, and redefined the media's role in the courtroom. University of Georgia history professor Edward Larson tells Brooke how the Scopes case revolutionized trial coverage, and launched the legal system towards the era of Court TV.
Highlights from Past Shows
The Supreme Court has declined to hear the appeal of reporters Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper, the defiant duo who have resisted court orders to reveal their government sources. Miller appears headed for prison, a martyr to the end. But Cooper may still walk free. On Thursday, his bosses at Time Magazine caved and said they would hand over his documents. Brooke reflects on the case with First Amendment lawyer Geoffrey Stone, who says that Time is doing the right thing.
You listen to public radio, so you probably know that public broadcasting’s federal funding came under the ax, again. Half of the $200 million dollar proposed cut was restored by a House amendment on Thursday, though the exercise itself was instructive. The cut was put forth partly as an austerity measure, and partly, some say, as a response to perceived bias. Brooke explores various funding options for the perennially staticky public airwaves.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
