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Soldiers are not necessarily known for their acting skills. And so it was hard not to see through what was billed as a conversational "back and forth" between the president and a small group of his troops this week. Any remaining doubts about its scripted nature were dispelled when news organizations broadcast tape of the videoconference's rehearsal. Bob and Brooke reflect on one of the least slick P.R. maneuvers of the Bush presidency.
Over the past decade, satellite network Al Jazeera has made its share of enemies both here and abroad. A lot of criticism has come from U.S. officials and pundits, who, if they don't actually watch Al Jazeera, will soon no longer have the language barrier to blame. Early next year, the network will launch Al Jazeera International, a 24-hour English-language service. American University assistant professor Marwan Kraidy discusses its prospects with Bob.
If you believe the coverage, Americans are using crystal meth at epidemic rates. Stories depict a killer drug that is instantly addictive, easy to cook up at home, and poised to tear apart families and communities. But Reason editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie is among the critics who say that the media are the ones with the drug problem. Gillespie makes his case for Bob.
With all three network nightly newscasts in flux, the viability of the form remains remarkably uncertain. Over the past two decades, 24-hour cable channels have battled the big three networks for a share of the broadcast news audience, and the voice of God has grown hoarse. Brooke looks forward into the future of nightly news.
Many activists are keenly aware that all the talking in the world may never succeed in opening the world's eyes to their causes. Seeing is believing, and pictures can make all the difference. Witness is an international human rights organization that provides video equipment and training to advocacy campaigns around the world. Executive Director Gillian Caldwell joins Brooke to discuss what she calls "tactical media."
Unti recently, video games were, you know, games. Not team-building exercises and certainly not propaganda machines. But nothing that engages young people stays pure forever. Eventually, it will be co-opted by those eager to have the attention of the next generation. Video gaming, therefore, was a natural target for such diverse institutions as the U.S. Army and Chinese Communist Youth League. The phenomenon has captured the interest of writer Clive Thompson, who joins Bob.
Jim Romenesko may be the most powerful name in the media that you've never heard of. Although his website bears his name, Romenesko has made his name quietly assembling an indispensable collection of every reportorial transgression, every format change, every buy-out, every compelling or questionable or errant media moment - all of them boldfaced and linked to. Jim joins Brooke to explain how he cooks up his delicious dish for a hungry audience of media obsessives.
Highlights from Past ShowsA federal judge recently ordered the Defense Department to release a second batch of photos from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. But the Pentagon maintains that the pictures will only inflame Anti-Americanism and endanger soldiers overseas. Bob discusses the FOIA case with Senator John McCain, sponsor of a new measure that would standardize policies for military interrogation techniques.
After September 11th, The New York Times created "Portraits of Grief," biographical sketches containing personal anecdotes supplied by the victim's family. The full accounting of casualties from Hurricane Katrina will likely be months away, but for writers of the New Orleans Times-Picayune the process of reckoning with the dead has already begun. Editor Jim Amoss talks with Brooke about how to portray the lives lost.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
