Corporation for Public Broadcasting chairman Kenneth Tomlinson continues to feel the heat from critics who accuse him of political meddling. This week, CPB's Inspector General agreed to investigate Tomlinson's hiring of a former GOP operative as CPB president. Bob and Brooke have the latest on the controversies in pub-casting.
Talk radio hosts make a living out of their strong opinions. But can their advocacy on behalf of political campaigns actually be considered an in-kind contribution? It sure can, according to a recent court decision in Olympia, Washington. Seattle media lawyer Bruce Johnson tells Brooke that the case is a classic example of the threat to free speech posed by campaign finance legislation.
Suicide bombings have become an almost daily feature of the war in Iraq. But with the so-called "insurgency" composed of such disparate elements, and nobody officially speaking for any of them, it's always hard to know who did what for what reason. Now, that could be changing - two insurgent groups have announced the appointment of a spokesman. Brooke talks to Financial Times reporter Steve Negus about the possible implications.
A few weeks ago, Time Magazine ran a cover story entitled "Inside the Mind of an Iraqi Suicide Bomber." It features a rare interview with a young insurgent-in-training. Baghdad correspondent Aparisim Ghosh wrote the story, and joins Bob to reflect on the experience of sitting down to chat with a ticking time bomb.
Local governments are obligated to inform the citizenry about new speed bumps, traffic lights, and the recycling schedule via public notices published in the local paper. In a few states, legislators have suggested that the Internet might be the logical place for public notices in the 21st century. But local papers are fighting that threat to what has been a guaranteed gravy train for them. Brooke talks with Sasha Issenberg, author of a brief history of the public notice in Legal Affairs Magazine.
This week, the L.A. Times ran a five part series, telling the story of a young boxer as she fights the odds to victory. The series looks to narrative non-fiction for its structure, reading like a novel and placing the he-said, she-said of attributions in footnotes at the end. Bob talks to reporter Kurt Streeter, the series' author, about defying readers' expectations.
With so many real-life jurors raised on a diet of tightly-scripted courtroom dramas, what's a real-life attorney to do? Call Neal Howard. The longtime scriptwriter for shows like King of Queens also works as a trial consultant, advising attorneys on how to enliven their arguments and capture the attention of the jury. Brooke speaks with Howard about what the U.S. legal system can learn from Hollywood.
Highlights from Past Shows
In the end, the two reporters who refused to divulge their sources met very different fates. The New York Times' Judy Miller stuck to her guns, and was thrown in jail. After receiving what he described as last-minute permission from his source, Time's Matt Cooper spilled the beans. Cooper said the entire ordeal could have been prevented by a federal law protecting journalists from having to testify. Is he right? University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone discusses the limits of "shield laws" with Brooke
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.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
