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Both voters and the national media have taken a shine to presidential contender Mike Huckabee in the last few weeks. But some Arkansas reporters are finding that Huckabee’s ethical history isn’t making the news as much as his folksy conservative bona-fides. Arkansas Times reporter Max Brantley introduces us to his Huckabee.
In 2004 John Kerry was thought to be more electable than Howard Dean but democratic voters lost that bet. This year, electability is playing an even bigger role in the primary season. But what is it anyway? Jason Zengerle wrote about electability in the current issue of New York Magazine.
Senator Clinton? Clinton? Hillary? In response to a listener’s letter we explore how the media and On The Media refer to the junior senator from New York.
Nearly half of the world’s 6000 languages face extinction within the next century. When languages die they take entire methods of communication and stores of knowledge with them. Linguist Greg Anderson of The Living Tongues Institute explains what we lose when a language disappears.
The New Oxford American Dictionary has announced its 2007 Word of the Year. Here’s a hint: a term for someone who endeavors to eat only locally-produced foods. Bob talks with Ben Zimmer of Oxford University Press about adding new words to the dictionary.
A few weeks ago, UNAIDS and the WHO revised down the number of those infected globally with HIV/AIDS. Revised down, that is, by 6 million people. What’s a journalist to do when faced with “official” math that doesn’t add up? Harvard research scientist Daniel Halperin provides his equation for the weight of numbers.
In 2005 computer scientist Nicholas Negroponte announced his bold plan to build a laptop that costs $100 and deliver it to the world's 150 million poorest schoolchildren in just 4 years. But the Wall Street Journal's Steve Stecklow says competition from companies like Intel and Microsoft seems to have put that goal out of reach.
We've all seen ads telling us to come to foreign countries, but the International Organization for Migration is waging a campaign in Africa telling people not to come to Europe. The most recent ad has sparked accusations of xenophobia and racism, but IOM's Jean-Philippe Chauzy explains why it's necessary.
Highlights from Past Shows
This week, On the Media is dedicating the entire show to one of our favorite topics – books. From Oprah's Book Club to the Google Library Project, the way we buy, search, read and even discuss books is changing. And so we begin with a look at some of the forces now tugging at the industry.
For the past few months, the number of both Iraqi civilian and U.S. military casualties has dropped significantly. The numbers don't add up to victory yet, but some criticize the media for failing to report the trend. Bob takes a look at the coverage.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
