We are living in history all of the time. Nevertheless, there are some times that seem more historical than usual. Like now, when academics and artists and even librarians have come under attack. We mention this particular sign of these times because of a new, delightful book by historian Elyse Graham, professor of Sociology at Stony Brook University called “Book and Dagger - How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War Two." The book is a breezy and enthralling read, but a...
Jan 22, 2025•27 min
The Supreme Court has upheld a ban on TikTok. On this week’s On the Media, hear how the ruling could affect other media companies, and where TikTokers are going next. Plus, California’s latest wildfires are devastating, but they’re not unprecedented. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger sits down with David Cole , professor of law and public policy at Georgetown University, and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, to discuss what the Supreme Court TikTok ban could mean f...
Jan 17, 2025•50 min
There have been hints dropped that the incoming administration intends to shake up the White House briefing room to potentially allow in more podcasters and outlets friendly to Trump. Whether or not it happens, the threats set the tone for another period of bad relations with the press corps. Time Magazine’s Olivia Waxman told Brooke back in 2017 that it was ever thus. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow o...
Jan 15, 2025•10 min
NPR and PBS stations are bracing for war with the incoming Trump administration. On this week’s On the Media, the long history of efforts to save—and snuff out—public broadcasting. Plus, the role of public radio across the country, from keeping local governments in check to providing life-saving information during times of crisis. [01:00] Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger explore the history of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and break down the funding with Karen Everhart , mana...
Jan 10, 2025•50 min
In the aftermath of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, politicians, pundits, and the American public condemned the violence—while many considered Donald Trump responsible for what had happened. In a few weeks, Trump will be sworn in for a second term at the very same place rioters overran four years ago. For this midweek podcast extra, host Micah Loewinger sat down with Dan Barry, senior writer at The New York Times and co-author of the recent article, “ ‘A Day of Love’: How T...
Jan 08, 2025•27 min
The complete story of American imperialism is missing from our history books. On this week’s On the Media, how the United States worked to capture territory and expand power, while preaching democracy and freedom. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with historian Daniel Immerwahr, on the hidden history of the United States empire. For Americans, empire often means economic and military power abroad, or CIA coups in Central America–not British-style imperialism. But the American empire was —...
Jan 03, 2025•51 min
With Trump’s imminent return to the White House, we’ve decided to take stock of how political and journalistic norms have evolved over the years. For this week’s midweek podcast, we’re sharing an episode from Radiolab that aired in October, on the whirlwind history of Gary Hart, a young charismatic Democrat who in 1987 was poised to win his party’s nomination and possibly the presidency – until a bombshell sex scandal derailed it all. Brooke Gladstone and Radiolab co-host Latif Nasser discuss th...
Jan 01, 2025•44 min
It’s been almost a year since the historic music outlet Pitchfork shrank considerably. On this week’s On the Media, why the distinctive voices in music journalism are worth saving. Plus, how AI music generators could upend the industry. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger, speaks with Ann Powers , critic and correspondent for NPR Music, on Condé Nast's acquisition of the influential music publication Pitchfork, and what this means for the future of music journalism. [12:45] Host Micah Loewinger speaks ...
Dec 27, 2024•51 min
For the new documentary, The Bibi Files , director Alexis Bloom uses hundreds of hours of leaked, previously unseen interrogation footage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, his son Yair, his staff and inner circle – to trace how the corruption charges against Netanyahu and Israel’s war on Gaza have converged. On this week’s midweek podcast, we re-air a conversation between Brooke Gladstone and Israeli journalist Raviv Drucker , one of the main guides through The Bibi Fi...
Dec 25, 2024•17 min
Donald Trump has a big plan to remake American universities. On this week’s On the Media, hear how the distinctly American idea of “diversity” has fallen out of favor—from higher education to the Supreme Court. Reporter Ilya Marritz explains how the deep history of Harvard and the concept of “diversity” is the hidden subtext for much of the recent strife. In the past half-century, the academy (and the business world) embraced the idea of diversity as a social good–an idea developed at Harvard an...
Dec 20, 2024•50 min
This year was earth’s hottest on record, and the Atlantic storm season brought with it five major hurricanes. And yet in December, the Pew Research Center found that only some 20 percent of Americans expect to make major sacrifices in their lifetime due to the climate crisis. According to writer Nathaniel Rich, when it comes to planning for a fraught future, New Orleans sets an example the rest of the country would be wise to follow. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM b...
Dec 18, 2024•18 min
The suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has been crowned a hero by many on social media. On this week’s On the Media, what the fandom reveals, and what the coverage of it has missed. Plus, tune in to part two of The Harvard Plan . Hear how plagiarism allegations at the university exploded into a toxic discourse about DEI and “diversity hires.” [01:00] Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine how the suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO became an internet sensation, wha...
Dec 13, 2024•50 min
Last week, the website for Enron – yes, that Enron – came back online. And on Monday the new CEO, Connor Gaydos, introduced himself, with what the fine print called "First Amendment protected parody." And it so happens that Gaydos is a source of another satirical piece of news… "Birds Aren't Real." On this week's midweek podcast, we re-air a conversation between Brooke Gladstone and writer Ian Beacock , about how the fake conspiracy theory gained traction, and what it reveals about our culture. ...
Dec 11, 2024•17 min
Many of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are emulating online influencers in their efforts to sell products and promote themselves. On this week’s On the Media, hear about the phenomenon academics are calling “influencer creep.” Plus, a look at the short, troubled tenure of Harvard’s 30th president, Claudine Gay, and the media firestorm that ensued. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Drew Harwell , technology reporter at The Washington Post, and Elaina Plott Calabro , staff writer at The Atlan...
Dec 06, 2024•51 min
Over the weekend, president-elect Donald Trump nominated a little-known, largely inexperienced civil servant to an enormous role in his upcoming administration – Kash Patel as FBI director. Firing current FBI director Christopher Wray, who has 2 years left in his 10 year term, would itself be an alarming break in norms. Atlantic staff writer Elaina Plott Calabro , profiled Kash Patel in August, chartint his rise to power, starting at the very beginning of his legal career. She explains how he ca...
Dec 04, 2024•21 min
How did the right get their vice grip of the airwaves, all the while arguing that they were being censored? On this week’s On the Media, a look at the early history of American radio, and why, in the post-war era, the U.S. government encouraged more diverse viewpoints on the airwaves — until it didn’t. Plus, the technological and legal changes that led to the popularity of conservative talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh. [00:10] Reporter Katie Thornton explains how radio programming shifted fro...
Nov 29, 2024•51 min
Our latest episode featured Micah's interview with Hank Green, a very popular YouTuber and science communicator. We got a lot of nice feedback about the conversation, and there were some interesting exchanges that we couldn’t fit in the radio version. So we’re bringing you a longer edit here. Hank describes how content creators depend on legacy media; his inspiration for making videos in 2007; and how OTM can reach a bigger audience. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM b...
Nov 27, 2024•24 min
A recent report from the Pew Research Center finds that 1 in 5 Americans get their news from influencers. On this week’s On the Media, YouTuber and science communicator Hank Green explains how he makes the truth go viral. Plus, hear how tech billionaires plan to escape the end of the world. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Renée DiResta, researcher studying online manipulation and professor at Georgetown University, about what the data tells us about how news consumption is changing. Plu...
Nov 23, 2024•50 min
In the run up to the election Donald Trump was doggedly pursuing the votes of young men. He courted them, as we described on the show, through interviews with influencers like Joe Rogan and Adin Ross, and Logan Paul. These personalities are part of the so-called manosphere, where anti-feminist, often right-wing politics are the norm. While reporting on this corner of the internet, host Micah Loewinger has been thinking a lot about a conversation he had with Richard Reeves , author of the book of...
Nov 20, 2024•18 min
Many of Donald J. Trump’s cabinet picks have something in common: a very close relationship with Fox News. On this week’s On the Media, hear about the revolving door from the conservative network to the White House. Plus, election conspiracy theories from Kamala Harris supporters go viral. And a satirical news site buys up Alex Jones’ Infowars. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Matt Gertz , senior fellow at Media Matters, about the re-opened revolving door between conservative media and ...
Nov 15, 2024•50 min
Many media outlets were prepared for conspiracy theories and lies to spread after the election. But many thought that it would be coming from Donald Trump or his supporters spreading the “Big Lie.” But since Donald Trump’s win, some social media posts from Kamala Harris supporters and people on the left have gone viral questioning the outcome of the election. Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Anna Merlan , senior reporter at Mother Jones covering disinformation, technology, and extremism, about t...
Nov 14, 2024•22 min
Since Donald J. Trump won the election, journalists have been retreading his path to victory, and discussing how the press should cover his next presidency. On this week’s On the Media, hear how a group of powerful podcasters helped boost Trump to his second term. Plus, an exiled Russian journalist shares rules for surviving an autocracy. [01:00] Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger and Executive Producer Katya Rogers discuss the day after the election. We also hear from OTM listeners abou...
Nov 08, 2024•50 min
Brooke and Micah recorded a conversation on Wednesday morning after the election. 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].
Nov 06, 2024•30 min
As the election approaches, conspiracy theories have flooded social media. On this week’s On the Media, hear why journalists are struggling to keep up with disinformation, on and offline. Plus, what does The Washington Post’s non-endorsement really mean? And, a look at the media coverage of the Uncommitted movement. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Brandy Zadrozny , senior reporter at NBC, about the growing swirl of disinformation around the election—and the toll it’s taking. [14:26] Hos...
Nov 02, 2024•50 min
Donald Trump is being called a fascist – by his former appointees and his opponent Kamala Harris. On Sunday, in a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, Trump and his allies traded in crude and racist insults, amplifying the nationalistic rhetoric his camp has become known for. The event drew stark comparisons to another gathering at the Garden–a 1939 " Pro-American Rally ," put on by the German-American Bund, a pro-Nazi group, with 20,000 of its members in attendance. The MAGA rally, for s...
Oct 30, 2024•31 min
Donald Trump is being called a fascist – by his former appointees, as well as by his opponent Kamala Harris. On this week’s On the Media, a historian of fascism explains why he sounded the alarm back in 2018. Plus, the science behind why horror films make your skin crawl. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Jason Stanley , a professor of Philosophy at Yale University and who has written several books on fascism. He first warned about Trump’s fascist rhetoric in 2018, and explains why it's ...
Oct 25, 2024•50 min
For the last few years, patriotism has been stuck in the wheelhouse of the GOP. A Gallup poll from June shows that 60% of Republicans — compared to 29% of Democrats — express extreme pride in being American. Donald Trump wraps himself in flags at each rally, walking out to God Bless America. But recently, Democrats have been taking it back, little by little. At a rally in Philadelphia, the crowd erupted into chants of, “USA! USA! USA!” and at the DNC, former Republican representative Adam Kinzin...
Oct 23, 2024•13 min
This election is set to be the most expensive ever. On this week’s On the Media, what does a billion dollars in campaign funds actually buy? Plus, Democrats condemned dark money for years. Now they embrace it. [01:00] Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger explore why Donald Trump came to be so reliant on his billionaire donors. Plus, Andrew Perez of Rolling Stone details Trump’s history of promising his benefactors big favors. And Bloomberg reporter Annie Massa breaks down the relationship ...
Oct 19, 2024•50 min
The new film “ The Apprentice ,” takes us back to New York in the 1970s, to when Donald Trump was just starting to make a name for himself, and to his introduction to Roy Cohn, the ruthless attorney and political fixer. The fictionalized depiction of real events, shows how Cohn molded Trump into his protégé, imparting his political lessons on how to wield political power, manipulate the media, and bend the truth. The film was directed by Ali Abbasi and written and executive produced by Gabriel S...
Oct 16, 2024•26 min
When Fox News launched in 1996, critics joked about its incompetence. But just a few years later, the network proved itself to be a political force. On this week’s On the Media, hear how Fox News rose to power during the election of 2000. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger introduce Slow Burn’s host Josh Levin . Levin spoke with the hosts, reporters, and producers who built Fox News, many who’ve never spoken publicly before. And you’ll hear from Fox’s victims, who are still coming to ter...
Oct 11, 2024•50 min
