On The Media

Amid the emotion, fear, and confusion following an attack, a Breaking News Consumer's Handbook for the coverage of terrorism. Plus, the semantics surrounding acts of war and terror, and a look back at lessons learned, and forgotten, in the years since 9/11. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

OTM examines how the media try to reach us on an emotional level. We look at the New York Times' dive into virtual reality-inspired empathy, and Europe's "compassion fatigue" with migration. Plus: why clickbait is king, the lucrative "hate read", why the University of Missouri protesters' media-free zone is about more than press freedom, and more. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMempathy, #OTMmissouri, #OTMvr, #OTMaylan, #OTMupworthy, #OTMcarebot, #OTMheart, #OTMclickbait, #OTMhatereads On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

ExxonMobil is under investigation by the New York State Attorney General for potentially misleading shareholders about the threat of climate change. The subpoena comes after reports, including from InsideClimate News, about Exxon's pivot from supporting state-of-the-art research to funding a network of climate denial groups. Observers have noted that Exxon's campaign of misinformation mirrors what Big Tobacco did about the risks of smoking. That industry is still paying a $246 billion settlement. Bob discusses the pattern, the two prosecutions, and what might come next with Naomi Oreskes of Harvard, co-author of Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming.  Then, Bob revisits his conversation earlier this fall with ExxonMobil's Richard Keil, who responded to the InsideClimate News reporting.  For more OTM follow us on Twitter, @OnTheMedia, and subscribe to our newsletter. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donat

Republican presidential candidates try to reassert control over the debate process, but they can't quite agree on how. Plus: in praise of the "gotcha" question; some optimism on the newspaper industry; and Bob talks with Alec Baldwin on all things media.  Discuss on Twitter: #OTMDebate, #OTMGotcha, #OTMLessig, #OTMbiz, #OTMespn, #OTMBaldwin On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

The launch of a collaboration between On the Media and Nate Silver’s 538 to track the push and pull between polling, media coverage, and public interest in candidates. Plus: a look at the long history of savvy political candidates campaigning as Washington "outsiders"; debunking the supposed "Ferguson effect"; and Spotlight, a new movie about the Boston Globe's investigation into the Catholic Church sex scandal, celebrates the power of the press.  Discuss on Twitter: #OTMRubio, #OTM_538, #OTMOutsiders, #OTMFerguson, #OTMSpotlight On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

A farewell to coverage of Joe Biden's non-existent presidential campaign. Plus: clarifying the misleading language of drone warfare and what it says about policy; a new film examines Dan Rather's downfall at CBS; the Lockerbie bombing investigation gets leads from a documentary; and a story about the Benghazi attack that you didn't hear at the committee hearing this week.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Playboy has announced it will soon stop publishing full nudes. We look at the history of men's magazines and what it means that sex doesn't sell in print for the magazine anymore. Plus: "who won the debate?"; Bernie Sanders versus the media; a new privacy win in Europe; and more.  Discuss on Twitter: #OTMdebate, #OTMbernie, #OTMgallup, #OTMprivacy, #OTMplayboy On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

OTM digs into the Supreme Court, an institution as secretive as it is powerful -- and how we understand it through the media. Plus: how regular people become poster children for thorny legal issues, potential press influence on the court, and cameras in the courtroom: now set to music. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMSCOTUS On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Over the last 2,500 years, cancer has shifted from a disease in the shadows to one at the center of scientific research and public discussion. On the Media dives deep into the way we talk about cancer: in the news, in the hospital, and in our private lives. This episode is the first of a two-part series: find our second hour on cancer here.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

With Pope Francis in the US this week, we examine why pundits try so hard to assess the pontiff’s remarks through the lens of 2016 politics. Plus: why the AP is scrapping the term “climate change denier” – and a new collection of fiction gives voices to figures sidelined by history.  Discuss on Twitter: #OTMpope, #OTMclimate, #OTMpolling, #OTMhoax, #OTMnarrative On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard that Pope Francis is in the U.S. this week. To celebrate His Holiness's arrival, we thought we'd give you a pope primer. Back in December of 2013, when Pope Francis first became a media darling, Brooke examined what makes his messaging so viral-friendly. If you like what we do, please rate us on iTunes! And as always, follow us on Twitter @onthemedia.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

This week’s GOP presidential debate was full of barbs, zingers, and over talk but was severely lacking in the fact-checking department. We consider the role of journalists when they play debate moderator. Plus, as the European refugee crisis continues, a debunking of the viral images that are channeling hatred and xenophobia. And, exposing Exxon's flip floppery on climate change. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMdebate #OTMexxon #OTMrefugees On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

On the language debate surrounding the Mediterranean crisis, debunking migration myths both foreign and domestic, and a visit to the 9/11 museum.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

The rhetoric of ads on the Iran nuclear agreement, the ongoing fall out of the Ashley Madison hack, and the end of an iconic Spanish language variety show. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Each week through Labor Day, we'll be pulling an OTM gem from our vast archives for you to enjoy on the beach, in a park... or on a sticky subway, while imagining you're on a beach. For the last episode of our summer listening series, we present our first and only effort at full-fledged radio theatre: Pledge This!  To hear more of our summer listening, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review while you're there! And as always, follow us on twitter @OnTheMedia. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

The push for a female libido pill reveals misunderstandings about female sexuality. Plus: Jorge Ramos' confrontation with the GOP front-runner; a guide to parsing stock market coverage; and an Instagram star is revealed as a joke-thief. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Each week through Labor Day, we'll be pulling an OTM gem from our vast archives for you to enjoy on the beach, in a park... or on a sticky subway, while imagining you're on a beach. For the eighth episode of our summer listening series, former producer-at-large Mike Pesca (now host of the Gist) takes a look at the sweetest part of America's favorite pastime. To hear more of our summer listening, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review while you're there! And as always, follow us on twitter @OnTheMedia. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

A decade after Hurricane Katrina, the story of two nursing home owners who became media scapegoats for the tragedy in New Orleans. Plus, a bit of indulgent speculation about a Trump presidency, the NSA's "house philosopher," and activists protesting new surveillance technologies with a tool of the past: faxes.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Impossible? Sure. But it happened anyway. From the not too distant future, we relive the shock and confusion of those early days and trace the path, tragically predictable but not without surprises, of the next four years. How could such a thing happen? What did it mean? And is it possible that it wasn't all bad?  Adapted from the article by Jon Lovett for The Atlantic.   Narration by Andy Lanset Trump impersonation by Ed Kelly On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Each week through Labor Day, we'll be pulling an OTM gem from our vast archives for you to enjoy on the beach, in a park... or on a sticky subway, while imagining you're on a beach. For the seventh episode of our summer listening series, one man heads on a quixotic quest to become a TV pundit. Some television talking heads seem born for the job; others needs a little more help, as you'll soon see. To hear more of our summer listening, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review while you're there! And as always, follow us on twitter @OnTheMedia. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].