Radio Liberty, once a crude propaganda tool designed to pierce the Iron Curtain, has remade itself into as a respected news outlet. But with the Kremlin blocking it in most regions of Russia, and possible budget cuts at home, Liberty is fighting to be heard.

More than a decade after the Rwandan genocide, reconciliation comes in forms not only political and diplomatic, but also artistic. Michael Kavanagh reports on a radio soap opera in Kigali – a Shakespearean love story complete with murder, thievery, a Romeo, and his Juliet.

A new video released by the militant group, Islamic State of Iraq, is one example in a new trend of insurgent videos, a move away from gore and toward highly stylized dramatization. The Washington Post’s Philip Kennicott explains that the video shows a profound awareness of pacing, dramatic ...

15 years ago, riots raged across Los Angeles and TV screens worldwide. Much of the media portrayed the riots as a response to the beating of Rodney King. But historian Mike Davis says that simple narrative did L.A. another injustice: it ignored the reality on the ground.

When former Russian president Boris Yeltsin died this week, a near-universal chorus of obituarists declared his legacy mixed. He may have ushered in democracy and a free press, but he failed to build the institutions to sustain them.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Morse v. Frederick, or, as it’s more commonly known, Bong Hits 4 Jesus. That phrase is at the center of perhaps the most important student free speech case in 38 years. Student Press ...

That's how Attorney General Alberto Gonzales characterized his department's handling of the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys. Bob anatomizes Washington's favorite non-apology apology.

Two images of combat surfaced in recent weeks, one recorded by the military and the other by a journalist. Do they lionize American soldiers or depict them as savages? Is documentation of war fundamentally an antiwar act? It seems the truth is ...

From the seducing tribesman to controlling sheik to the bomb-wielding terrorist, Hollywood has consistently broad brushed Arabs with caricature and cliché. But can an Arab be an American film hero? Can he get the girl? Hollywood is starting to believe that he can.

As this week’s iPhone unveiling made clear, Apple chairman Steve Jobs is a master of the product rollout. Every year, the company uses its MacExpo to seduce fans, critics and even skeptical reporters. Wired’s Mac columnist Pete Mortenson explains why everyone finds ...

How is Saddam Hussein’s execution playing in the Arab media? Depends on your sectarian filter. Arab media watcher Marc Lynch says that even the few outlets representing Shiite and Sunni viewpoints are themselves starting to come apart at the seams.

If there's anything positive to come out of actor Michael Richards' recent racist rant , it's that people are once again discussing the limits of the N-word. Who can use it? How has its meaning changed over time? WNYC's Radio Rookie Veralyn Williams explores the complexities ...

No longer content to silently disavow religion, the so-called New Atheists are on the offensive. Borrowing tactics from the faithful, nonbelievers have taken to proselytizing in books and in the media. And yes, they’re even in foxholes.

Through much of George Bush's tenure, a common narrative has suggested that the president surrounds himself with smart advisors who really make the tough decisions. Recently, a new press narrative has emerged. Ron Suskind, Paul Begala and Ari Fleischer discuss Bush’s changing image.

This week, NBC started referring to the violence in Iraq as “civil war.” The New York Times cautiously edged closer to that terminology. NYT executive editor Bill Keller explains the editorial and political reasons for allowing reporters and editors to call it ...

In considering Turkey’s application for membership, the European Union has identified a number of stumbling blocks. Among them is Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which criminalizes “insulting Turkishness” and is often used to prosecute writers and journalists. Bob traveled to Istanbul this ...

Lou Dobbs has his story, and he’s sticking to it. Every evening, the host of CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight features reports under headings like “Broken Borders” and “War on the Middle Class.” And people are responding – in the past three years, his audience has skyrocketed. ...

One of the biggest winners of this week’s electoral sea-change is the Speaker-of-the-House-elect, Nancy Pelosi. As it stands now, the San Francisco Democrat will become the highest-ranking woman in the history of American politics. San Francisco Chronicle correspondent Ed Epstein joins Brooke to discuss ...

If you turned down the sound on your TV this week, it might have seemed like you were watching Campaign ’04, not Campaign ’06. Politicians took turns inveighing against John Kerry and George W. Bush, and their relative support for the troops. Washington Post national political editor John Harris is ...

Scarcely had the dust settled at the site of North Korea's supposed nuclear test before the finger-pointing began in Washington this week. Former East Asia correspondent Dan Sneider has been following the political fallout in the nation's dailies. He tells Bob we'd all be better off if the American press ...