Making Contact

Frequencies of Change Media
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Making Contact

“Making Contact” digs into the story beneath the story—contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. Produced by Frequencies of Change Media (FoC Media), the award-winning radio show and podcast examines the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground, building a more just world through narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the environment, labor, economics, health, governance, and arts and culture.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Birth Parents on Adoption

    Because of the fall of Roe v. Wade, we're hearing a lot more about adoption as an alternative for women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy. And even before, media portrayals of adoption have always painted it as an easy ethical conclusion to a difficult circumstance. But the real, lived experiences of birth parents who give up their children for adoption have never been part of the conversation. Do birth parents really see adoption as an alternative to abortion? Are they happy with their decision to relinquish their children? It turns out that for the most part, they're not.  We talk to Samantha Gonzalez, a birth mother, and Gretchen Sisson, author of the book "Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood."    Making Contact Team: Episode Host: Salima Hamirani Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman  Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain   Music credits: Axletree - The Silent Grove Axletree - Goldfinch- Flight to the North Blear Moon - Learning from Kids Doctor Turtle - Leap Second Hinterheim - Prior Restraint   Learn More:  Reproductive Justice in Adoption Considering Adoption Planned Parenthood Relinquished Book Page Gretchen Sisson Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

    29 min

  2. 30 OCT

    Media, disinfo and lies about immigrants in the race to Election Day

    We're in the homestretch to Election Day 2024, and you know what that means: 24/7 coverage of the political horse race through tv, radio and social media. But voters are also getting exposed to false information. In today's show, we'll dig into election mis- and disinformation and why so much of it is targeting immigrants this year. Amber Boydstun, professor and co-chair of the political science department at University of California, Davis Jaime Longoria, manager of research and training for the Disinfo Defense League Shiu-Ming Cheer, deputy director of immigrant and racial justice at the California Immigrant Policy Center Making Contact Team: Episode Host: Lucy Kang Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman  Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain Music credits: "Road to Sunset" by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay  "Clear Ideas (This Comedy Funny) by AlexGrohl from Pixabay "Drums" by Andrew Faid from Pixabay "Radio.wav" sound effect by davidou from Pixabay Learn More:  Making Contact: www.focmedia.org Disinfo Defense League: https://www.disinfodefenseleague.org California Immigrant Policy Center: https://caimmigrant.org/ Making Contact is a 29-minute weekly program committed to investigative journalism and in-depth critical analysis that goes beyond the breaking news. On the web at www.focmedia.org.

    29 min

  3. 23 OCT

    Progressive Women Are Shaping Indiana’s Political Future

    On the eve of a Presidential election being decided by a handful of swing states, we sat down with two women in Indiana to talk about what it takes to make progress in a place that is largely neglected by the national Democratic Party Machine. Dayna Colbert, Executive Director of the Hoosier Democratic Party, talks about their growing foothold, led by women. And, political podcaster Dana Black talks about how to maintain an authentic voice while working alongside the official Democratic Party.  Featuring: Dayna Colbert, Executive Director of Indiana Democratic Party Dana Black, Political podcaster and public speaker Making Contact Staff: Episode Host: Amy Gastelum Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain Music: Jahzzar, Flutter HoliznaCC0 - Whatever Learn More:  Indiana Democratic Party Indiana's Own Dana Black Hoosier Women Forward Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

    29 min

  4. 16 OCT

    How the Legacy of Colonialism Keeps Puerto Rico's Healthcare System in Shambles

    Almost half of Puerto Rico's doctors have fled the island over the past decade,  leading to a lack of specialists and treatment and incredibly long wait times. And this isn't just an inconvenience. People are dying from lack of care. Why is Puerto Rico's health care system collapsing, and why are doctors fleeing the island? We take a look at its deeply dysfunctional private medical system and why attempts to fix it, and create a universal health care plan on the island, are being hindered by Puerto Rico's status as a US colony. Its massive unpayable debt, held by investors in the US, means that it cannot make its own economic decisions, even when it affects the livelihood of poor Puerto Ricans living there. But there might be a fix, getting rid of Puerto Rico's debt and rethinking its colonial relationship to the US.  Featuring: Carolina (pseudonym for privacy) Coral del Mar Murphy Marcos-  journalist. Author of an article on PR's health care crisis. Paola (pseudonym for privacy) Alberto Medina- Boricuas Unidos en la Diáspora Making Contact Staff: Episode Host: Salima Hamirani Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain Music credits: Daniel Birch - Indigo Strokes Axletree - Goldfinch- Flight to the North Mindseye - Spores Soft and Furious - So What Learn More: Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora The Nation Magazine Puerto Rico’s Unnatural Disaster Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

    29 min

  5. 9 OCT

    America's Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy

    On this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar about his latest book, America's Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy.  America’s Black Capital chronicles how a center of Black excellence emerged amid virulent expressions of white nationalism, as African Americans pushed back against Confederate ideology to create an extraordinary locus of achievement. We examine the methods in which Black Atlanteans pushed for social, economic, and political upliftment through the development of Black collegiate systems, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.   Dr. Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar the author of America's Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy.   **Episode Credits:** Host: Anita Johnson Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman  Digital Media Marketing: Lissa Deonarain **Music:** Andy G. Cohen - Our Young Guts  Blue Dot Sessions– Paving Stones Learn More:  Dr. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar -  Atlanta Race Massacre -  Atlanta Race Massacre -  Hoke Smith -  Clarke Howell -  Tom Watson -   America's Black Capital -    Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

    30 min

  6. 2 OCT

    Gaza, one year later

    It's been one year since October 7th, 2023 and the start of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza. On today's show, we hear from journalist Rami Almeghari and other Palestinians about their experiences living through the war. Then, we dive into a conversation with Norman Solomon, author of War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of its Military Machine, about what mainstream coverage of the war is leaving out. Featuring: Rami Almeghari, Palestinian journalist in Gaza Norman Solomon, activist and author of War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of its Military Machine Tarneem, Ahmad and Hamza Jaber, Palestinian siblings from Gaza  Special thanks to Mohammed Naeem Imad, for reporting and fact-checking support Audio excerpts featuring Tarneem, Ahmad and Hamza Jaber are from the series Great Love: The Gaza Monologues from ASHTAR Theatre Revisited on The Heart podcast, created and hosted by Kaitlin Prest Making Contact Staff: Episode Host: Lucy Kang Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain   Music credits: "Documentary Piano Ambient" by Bohdan Kuzmin (BoDleasons) via [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/users/28047609/) Learn More:  The Jaber siblings featured in this episode are fundraising for their living costs and to continue their education in Cairo. You can find their campaign here: Journalist Rami Almeghari is currently in Gaza, and he is fundraising to support his family during this time. You can find his campaign here:   ASHTAR Theatre, which created The Gaza Monologues:    [Great Love: The Gaza Monologues from ASHTAR Theatre Revisited](https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_25_025f9e65-6631-4120-a9e0-a20b80edc5aa&uf=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.theheartradio.org%2FTheHeartRadio) _on _The Heart_ podcast Making Contact is a 29-minute weekly program contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. On the web at www.focmedia.org.

    30 min

  7. 25 SEPT

    Tackling the Intimate Partner Violence to Prison Pipeline

    We catch up with journalist and IPV survivor Natalie Pattillo to talk about the folks fighting for justice for criminalized survivors of intimate partner violence. Listen to find out the story behind Oklahoma activists that led the state to adopt a new law based on NY's Domestic Violence Survivor's Justice Act, and how you can get involved. And finally, Standford's Regilla Project just published a groundbreaking study revealing the scope of the IPV to prison pipeline.    **Natalie Pattillo,** journalist and co-producer of the film And So I Stayed **Alexandra Bailey,** Senior Campaign Strategist for The Sentencing Project **Amanda Ross**, activist and niece of April Wilkens, the first person to use the Oklahoma Survivors' Act to apply for a retroactive sentence reduction **Debbie Mukamal,** Executive Director of Stanford Criminal Justice Center **Andrea Cimino,** Director of Research for the Regilla Project   **Making Contact Staff:** Episode Host: Amy Gastelum Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: [Jeff Emtman](http://www.jeffemtman.com/)  Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain   **Music Credits:** _Podington Bear_ Tracks: _Arboles, Delphi, Poise _ From the album _Encouraging_ Licensed under [CC BY-NC](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) and available online here: Learn More:  **The Sentencing Project ** **Free April Wilkens ** **We Stand With Nikki** **The Regilla Project ** **And So I Stayed Film ** **Survivor's Justice Project** **Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice **

    29 min

  8. 18 SEPT

    Crosswinds: The Cost of Coal

    In this week's show, we take a look at the health, environmental and financial costs of coal that fall to people living nearby. With the help of our partner podcast Crosswinds, we meet three impacted communities along a railroad connecting coal mines in West Virginia to ports on the East Coast. And we'll hear how that rail infrastructure was built on the forced labor of incarcerated African Americans. Featuring: Adrian Wood, multimedia producer with the Repair Lab at the University of Virginia and producer of Crosswinds    Making Contact Staff: Episode Host: Lucy Kang Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Engineer: Jeff Emtman  Digital Marketing Manager: Lissa Deonarain Music credits: "A Documentary" by AKTASOK (Valentin Iakovlev) via Pixabay Credits for Crosswinds Episode 3: "Cost" Written, produced mixed and mastered by Adrian Wood Editing by Oluwakemi Aladesuyi of Rough Cut Collective Scoring by Torrin Purkett and Adrian Wood Produced through the Repair Lab at the University of Virginia  Learn More: Making Contact homepage: www.focmedia.org Listen to the entire Crosswinds series: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ey0DQiOzuvJehEyCjGJYv Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-repair-lab/id1633699454 Coal Dust Kills: www.coaldustkills.com The Repair Lab: repairlab.virginia.edu

    30 min
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About

“Making Contact” digs into the story beneath the story—contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. Produced by Frequencies of Change Media (FoC Media), the award-winning radio show and podcast examines the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground, building a more just world through narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the environment, labor, economics, health, governance, and arts and culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Frequencies of Change Media
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2024
  • Episodes
    785
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Frequencies of Change Media
  • Show Website
    Making Contact

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