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Town hall meetings across America this week erupted in raucous protests. Many on the left dismissed the protests as political astro-turfing, straight from the playbook of right wing operatives. But according to The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, the protestors' tactics are the legacy of left-wing rabble-rouser Saul Alinsky.
The group Freedom Works, chaired by former House majority leader Dick Armey, has been instrumental in organizing the town hall protests we've seen on YouTube and cable news. The protests have been criticized for being heavy on angry mob, and light on concerned citizen but Freedom Works' Adam Brandon explains the media strategy.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs recently published a series about the psychological struggles of a group of Iraq War veterans who'd been arrested for violent crimes at home. But while doing that reporting, journalist Dave Philipps uncovered another story about war crimes committed in Iraq. Philipps explains why he was an unlikely reporter to be writing this piece.
Matt Mabe is one of the few people who know what it's like to be on both sides of the strained marriage between the military and the media. He left the army in 2007 to become a reporter and he was recently recalled to duty as a soldier. Mabe describes how both sides mistrust and misunderstand one another. He joins us from Afghanistan to tell his story.
What drives a journalist, like Russia's Anna Politkovskaya, to risk their life to pursue a story? Reporter Terry Gould profiled 7 slain journalists in 5 countries to try to answer that question. He found a common psychology among those who know they'll be killed for their reporting but press on anyway.
The titles of our most beloved books have stories of their own to tell. Bob talks with Gary Dexter, author of Why Not Catch 21?: The Stories Behind the Titles about the surprising origin stories behind classics like Catch-22, Fahrenheit 451, and Alice in Wonderland.
Highlights from Past Shows
It was a big week for conspiracy theories, with two big rumors circulating in the news. First, that the President is secretly not American. Second, that Obama's health care proposal includes plans to euthanize senior citizens, a claim promoted by former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey. The Atlantic's James Fallows explains how these claims fare in today's 24-hour news cycle.
As Washington debates what to do about health care, each side has put forth its favorite terms like ration, public-option, and government takeover to frame the discussion. Frank Luntz, author and Republican wordsmith, put out a memo called "The Language of Healthcare 2009." He says his ten rules will help Republicans stop the "Washington takeover" of health care.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
