On the Media

The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.

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Episodes

How to Read a President, with Carlos Lozada, Vinson Cunningham, and Curtis Sittenfeld

When politicians publish their autobiographies, often they reveal more than intended. On this week’s On the Media, find out how one reporter sifts through political memoirs for truths about politicians and the people they lead. Plus, in vivid detail, a novelist imagines the private lives of former presidents. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Carlos Lozada, New York Times Opinion columnist and a co-host of the weekly “Matter of Opinion” podcast. Lozada explains how he mines political mem...

May 03, 2024•51 min

'The Three Body Problem' And the Rise of Chinese Science Fiction

Chinese science fiction has gone from a niche, underground genre to the country's hottest new export. On Saturday, at the 8th China Science Fiction Conference hosted in Beijing, an animated presenter unveiled graphs detailing the meteoric rise of the genre, claiming that China had raked in nearly $16 billion in revenue from its sci-fi industry in 2023. And in late March, an adaptation of one of China's biggest cultural exports, ' The Three Body Problem ,' premiered on Netflix. The show, based on...

May 01, 2024•19 min

How Not to Cover the Trump Trials. Plus, the Latest Push To Defund NPR

Trump is back in court for his hush money trial hearing, and his immunity case was argued at the Supreme Court. On this week’s On the Media, hear what gets lost in the blow-by-blow coverage of Trump’s legal woes. Plus, an essay from a former NPR editor has lawmakers calling to cut funding to the public radio network. [01:10] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Dahlia Lithwick , who covers the courts for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus , about her frustration with pundits' obsession with solving...

Apr 26, 2024•51 min

A War Photographer Watches Alex Garland's 'Civil War'

Alex Garland's new film, ' Civil War ,' debuted at no. 1 at the box office earlier this month, and follows four journalists on a road trip from New York City to D.C. in the midst of societal collapse. The beating heart of the film is Lee, a veteran photojournalist played by Kirsten Dunst, who's determined to interview the president as his administration is on the verge of collapse to rebel forces. Lynsey Addario is an award-winning photojournalist who has covered humanitarian crises abroad for o...

Apr 24, 2024•23 min

Meet the Media Prophets Who Preach Christian Supremacy. Plus, Journalism in ‘Civil War’

Former president Trump says he wants to make America pray again. On this week’s On the Media, hear how Christian nationalism is shaping American politics. Plus, what the new film Civil War has to say about the role of journalism when civilizing norms have broken down. [01:08] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Matthew D. Taylor , scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, & Jewish Studies in Baltimore and author of the forthcoming book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Moveme...

Apr 19, 2024•51 min

Happy Bicycle Day!

April 19th, which is this Friday, marks an odd holiday known as Bicycle Day — the day, now 81 years ago, when Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann rode his bike home from work after dosing himself with his lab concoction, lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD. The first acid trip . Hofmann’s wobbly ride is what launches us into an exploration of a moment, when Ken Kesey, an evangelist of acid would emerge from a Menlo Park hospital lab, and plow through the nation’s gray flannel culture in a candy colore...

Apr 17, 2024•22 min

The Rise and Fall of Alt-Weeklies, and Backpage.com vs The Feds

New York City’s alternative weekly newspaper, The Village Voice, birthed a generation of legendary writers. On this week’s On the Media, how the Voice transformed journalism and what’s being lost as alt-weeklies across the country die off. Plus, why the feds brought America’s most controversial alt-weekly mogul to court. [02:17] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Tricia Romano , author of The Freaks Came Out to Write , about the early days of The Village Voice, including one reporter’s mission to ...

Apr 12, 2024•52 min

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