Brooke Gladstone

Shows

Episodes

  1. The UK’s Violent Riots Were Stoked by Elon Musk and a Global Far-Right Network

    3d ago

    The UK’s Violent Riots Were Stoked by Elon Musk and a Global Far-Right Network

    This week, a mob attacked immigrant communities in Northern Ireland after Elon Musk fomented anger on X. On this week’s On the Media, hear how a group linked with a global neo-Nazi movement organized the riots. Plus, what the recent upheaval at 60 Minutes tells us about the state of TV news. [01:34]  Micah speaks with David Gilbert, a reporter at WIRED covering disinformation and online extremism, about the anti-immigrant riots that exploded across the UK and more recently Northern Ireland, and how Elon Musk stoked violence on X. Plus, the racist ideology behind the attacks.  [17:29] Micah sits down with Oliver Darcy, founder of Status and co-host of Power Lines, to discuss the turmoil at 60 Minutes since Bari Weiss fired about half a dozen staffers.  [32:52] Brooke talks with Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev, the authors of the upcoming book How to Survive Authoritarianism: A Russian's Phrasebook for Everyday Life in America, about how Russian words and phrases can help Americans understand what's happening in their country today. Further reading: “A White Supremacist Youth Group Helped Orchestrate the Belfast Riots,” by David Gilbert “Elon Musk and America’s Far Right Stoke Anger Over Murder of UK Teen,” by David Gilbert “Bari in the Bunker and Ellison at the Gates,” by Oliver Darcy “Pelley’s ‘60 Minutes’ Revolt,” by Oliver Darcy How to Survive Authoritarianism: A Russian's Phrasebook for Everyday Life in America by Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  2. How Anthropic Became Holier Than Thou

    Jun 5

    How Anthropic Became Holier Than Thou

    This week, Anthropic filed for an IPO following a valuation of nearly $1 trillion, which would make it one of the largest IPOs in history. On this week’s On the Media, the company’s marketing campaign to position it as the “good guy” of AI. Plus, what a literary AI scandal reveals about our vanishing ability to tell what’s human and what’s not.  [01:00]  Micah speaks with Brian Merchant, a tech journalist and author of the book and newsletter Blood in the Machine, about Anthropic’s successful positioning of itself as the “ethical AI company,” even gaining themselves a seat at the table when the Pope debuted his encyclical on AI, and how fostering this image seems to be paying off in the form of a massive valuation and upcoming IPO. [16:18] Micah sits down with Vauhini Vara, a contributing writer for The Atlantic and the author of Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, on the infiltration of AI into literature, and how publishing and journalism have entered a new era of trying to keep AI writing at bay.  [27:51] Brooke talks with David Garrett, founder of the new non-profit the Institute for Primary Facts, about the pop-up exhibit he organized in New York City that displayed over 3,400 printed volumes of the Epstein files, and how he intends it to be a “pressure campaign” for accountability. Plus, Andrea Sterling, an online content creator and a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, on the impact of seeing the files in real life. Further reading: “How Anthropic used AI ethics slop to play the pope and eclipse OpenAI,” by Brian Merchant “This Literary AI Scandal Changes Everything,” by Vauhini Vara 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min
  3. "Making China Great Again" One Web-Novel At A Time

    5d ago

    "Making China Great Again" One Web-Novel At A Time

    China is home to over one billion internet users, and about half are consumers of internet literature. While the industry started as a group of hobby writers, it's now a multimillion dollar industry that has spawned adaptations to TV shows, films, and games. One of the most successful genres has become a phenomenon in and of itself. It's called "alt-history" fiction, which typically follows a contemporary man traveling back in time to save ancient China from a crisis. Brooke sits down with Rongbin Han, a Chinese cyberpolitics expert at the University of Georgia, about why this particular genre of web novel has grabbed so many readers' attention, what it can teach us about how Chinese people are imagining China's rise on a global stage, and how it's an illustration of a state and its people co-producing, or negotiating, a shared vision of an ideal, powerful China.     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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    21 min
  4. I.C.E.'s "Wartime Recruitment" Campaign

    Jun 3

    I.C.E.'s "Wartime Recruitment" Campaign

    For a second week, reports of inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall in New Jersey are drawing protesters and camera crews. A handful of journalists and dozens of protesters have been arrested. Under this Trump administration, I.C.E.’s operations have ballooned, making it the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency. This week we're sharing an interview Micah did with Drew Harwell, a technology reporter for The Washington Post, from earlier this year. They discuss how I.C.E. is trying to enlist new agents through a "wartime recruitment push." 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 min
  5. Trump Sued Himself … and ‘Settled’ for a $1.8 Billion Fund

    May 29

    Trump Sued Himself … and ‘Settled’ for a $1.8 Billion Fund

    The Department of Justice is trying to create a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate Donald Trump’s political supporters who claim they were unfairly targeted by the government. On this week’s On the Media, how Trump is using the federal legal system to reward his allies and go after his perceived enemies. Plus, how a prison fire in 1930 changed the course of history for CBS News. [01:00]  Micah speaks with Anna Bower, senior editor at Lawfare, about President Trump’s effort to sue himself and how the Department of Justice is trying to reward him, and his political allies, with a nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”  [17:14] Brooke speaks with historian A. Brad Schwartz about how a horrific prison fire in 1930 changed the trajectory of CBS News. CBS aired on-the-spot coverage of the event, with Otto "Deacon" Gardner, an inmate in the prison, at the microphone. Gardner's gripping broadcast captured the attention of audiences across the country and started CBS on the path to creating the hard-hitting news that would define the network for nearly a century.  [35:53] Brooke continues her conversation with historian A. Brad Schwartz about how the prison fire showed executives at CBS that there was an audience for vivid, on-the-spot news coverage.  Further reading: “The President Who Sued Himself,” by Anna Bower and Eric Columbus “The Eyewitness,” by A. Brad Schwartz 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  6. Episode 2 of American Emergency; The Movement To Kill FEMA

    May 8

    Episode 2 of American Emergency; The Movement To Kill FEMA

    To understand how FEMA became so distrusted, we look at its response to Hurricane Katrina – and how it stained the agency’s reputation forever.  [00:00]  Host Micah Loewinger presents the second part of our investigation American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA. This week, we look at the event that shaped FEMA’s reputation perhaps more than any other: Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. Experts had warned about this kind of storm for years, but when it hit the agency only had one staffer on the ground–a PR guy named Marty Bahamonde. We also hear from Superdome survivor Chavon Allen, who was celebrating her 19th birthday when the hurricane made landfall.  Further reading / watching: “We’re missing the economic fallout of the Iran war — just like we did with Covid,” by Bryan Walsh Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security, by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time on Hulu 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    36 min
  7. Episode 3 of American Emergency; The Movement To Kill FEMA

    May 15

    Episode 3 of American Emergency; The Movement To Kill FEMA

    How an unprecedented storm of conspiracy theories beset FEMA during Hurricane Helene. [00:00]  Host Micah Loewinger presents the third part of our investigation American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA. This week, Micah takes a deep dive into the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024, when conspiracy theories surged online, including the old rumors about FEMA camps. And we hear from a library worker who was rescued by raft during the storm, about the greatest obstacle she faced after the storm: bureaucracy.  Further reading / watching: “The simple statistical error Republican Supreme Court justices used to gut the VRA,” by G. Elliot Morris “This year’s U.S. House elections will be least competitive on record,” by G. Elliot Morris “Some N.C. residents distrust FEMA so much they’re hesitant to apply for hurricane aid,” by Brianna Sacks “How a conspiracy-fueled group got a foothold in this hurricane-battered town,” by Brianna Sacks 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    34 min
  8. Episode 4 of American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA

    May 22

    Episode 4 of American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA

    The president has proposed a new leader for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On this week’s On the Media, a reckoning with the future of FEMA, and an interview with Trump’s nominee to lead the agency. Plus, a FEMA worker starts an anonymous newsletter to share how cuts are hurting the agency. [01:56]  Micah Loewinger brings us the final installment of OTM’s miniseries American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA. Micah interviews Cameron Hamilton, an unqualified MAGA warrior brought in to take the agency down last year. When he refused to kill FEMA point blank, he was fired. Hamilton shares what it was like to work at FEMA under Kristi Noem. Earlier this month, Hamilton was nominated by the president to lead the agency – despite his lack of experience.  [21:08] Micah interviews an anonymous FEMA worker who started a newsletter amid the chaos of Kristi Noem’s leadership at DHS. The goal of the online publication, called Alt-FEMA, was to get the truth out about the agency’s capacity — at a time when it was bleeding staff and experience. Its stated mission is to record “what is being dismantled: institutional knowledge, coordination capacity, and the ability to serve communities in crisis.” [31:21] Micah explores the future of FEMA, and the administration's plans to reduce the role of the agency in responding to disasters. We hear from a veteran FEMA staffer, MaryAnn Tierney, and a climate beat reporter at Grist, Jake Bittle, who wrestled with the proposed reforms. Micah also speaks to the Director of Emergency Management in Vermont, Eric Forand, and an emergency manager of a tribal nation on the West Coast about how diminished federal disaster funding could hurt their communities. 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    52 min
  9. American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA

    May 1

    American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA

    Just after Donald Trump's first term began, he announced that he was considering eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency — the agency that helps Americans amid unthinkable disasters. And just a month ago, Trump repeated his disdain for FEMA, declaring that he’s poised to make some big changes.  On this week’s On the Media, we present the first installment in a four-part series called American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA. In this episode, OTM co-host Micah Loewinger tells the origin story of FEMA — which initially focused less on disaster relief and more on plans to save the government from nuclear attack. The agency’s secrecy inspired wild conspiracy theories and paranoia among far-right groups, including the fear that FEMA is building camps to detain citizens and stifle political dissent. The episode culminates with a never-before-told story of a plot to stalk FEMA’s top brass in the nineties. Further reading: Sound of Impact, by Adam Shaw Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself--While the Rest of Us Die, by Garrett M. Graff "FEMA and Disaster – a Look at What Worked and What Didn’t From a FEMA Insider," by Leo Bosner 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    52 min
  10. A Russian Phrasebook for Surviving Authoritarianism

    May 27

    A Russian Phrasebook for Surviving Authoritarianism

    Russian language has a rich vocabulary for describing life under tyranny. Like the plain-clothed ICE officers snatching people off the streets? In Russian, they would be called "siloviki." Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's requirement that she personally approve of contracts over $100,000? That's a phenomenon that Russians would call "manual control." Government workers being required to perform a military parade for the president's birthday? They would be called "budget people" in Russian. Brooke speaks with Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev, the authors of the upcoming book How to Survive Authoritarianism: A Russian Phrasebook for Everyday Life in America, about how Russian words and phrases can help Americans understand what's happening in their country today. The book comes out in September.  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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min
  11. Grab Your Tin Foil Hat for The Onion's Takeover of Infowars

    Apr 24

    Grab Your Tin Foil Hat for The Onion's Takeover of Infowars

    Earlier this month, Donald Trump posted an AI picture that seemed to depict him as Jesus Christ. On the week’s On the Media, why the image drew so much ire from Trump’s own followers. Plus, why The Onion, a satirical newspaper, is taking over the website of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with David Gilbert, reporter at WIRED covering disinformation and online extremism, to discuss the backlash among MAGA supporters to some of President Trump’s recent Truth Social posts, and how he is seeing more anger toward Trump in rightwing media spaces.  [15:49] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Ben Collins, CEO of Global Tetrahedron–the parent company of the satirical newspaper The Onion–about the long saga of trying to buy right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones’ media empire, InfoWars. Then, Micah chats with Tom Heidecker, newly named creative director of InfoWars, about how he plans to turn the website and studio into a place for comedy. [30:55] Micah talks with Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, about “Steal This Story, Please!,” a new documentary about her forty-year career as an investigative journalist, radio host, and trailblazer of independent media. Plus, they discuss the often-blurred lines between activism and journalism, and why she prioritizes truth over access in her reporting.    Further reading / watching: “Staunch Trump Supporters Are Now Asking if He’s the Antichrist,” by Makena Kelly and David Gilbert “MAGA Is Starting to Look Beyond Trump,” by David Gilbert “At Long Last, InfoWars Is Ours,” by Bryce P. Tetraeder “Steal This Story, Please!” (documentary)   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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  12. How "Economic Blindness" Is Obscuring Our Financial Reality

    May 13

    How "Economic Blindness" Is Obscuring Our Financial Reality

    On Sunday, President Trump rejected Iran’s latest response to his administration’s ceasefire proposal by taking to Truth Social, calling it "totally unacceptable." In the meantime, the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil travels, remains effectively blocked. And people everywhere are beginning to feel the squeeze. The national average cost of gas is now $4.55 per gallon, and diesel is inching closer to $6 a gallon. The Philippines has long declared a national energy emergency, government workers moving to a four-day work week. Lufthansa has canceled 20,000 flights through October of this year. But curiously, you wouldn’t know it if you wandered down Wall Street. Last week, the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite hit an all-time high, and both have continued to climb this week. This week, host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Bryan Walsh, editor of Vox’s Future Perfect section, to discuss the phenomenon of “economic blindness,” or the jarring mismatch between economic reality and the markets. Plus, how human evolution may play a role in this cognitive dissonance.   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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    24 min
  13. Trump’s “Madman Theory” Is on Full Display in Iran

    Apr 11

    Trump’s “Madman Theory” Is on Full Display in Iran

    President Trump threatened to commit war crimes before reaching a shaky ceasefire deal with Iran. On this week’s On the Media, the repercussions of the Nixon-era diplomatic theory that Trump appears to be testing in the Middle East. Plus, why shortwave radio remains a powerful tool for communication. [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Bill Scher, the politics editor at the Washington Monthly, to discuss Trump’s escalating use of the “Madman Theory” in conflicts abroad and how it’s never been a winning strategy. [16:15] Shortly after the first attacks on Iran in early March, mysterious messages in Persian were broadcast on shortwave radio. Shortwave radio has long been a tool for bypassing state surveillance, censorship, and regulations, as reporter Katie Thornton found in her examination of shortwave radio for season two of The Divided Dial. In this segment, Katie Thornton took a trip to the 737-person northern Maine town of Monticello to find one of shortwave’s farthest reaching broadcasters. [37:12] Reporter Katie Thornton continues her examination of shortwave radio. This segment originally aired as part of season two of The Divided Dial, which was supported in part by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism.  Further reading / watching: “Trump Believes in “Madman Theory.” But He’s Actually a Madman” by Bill Scher The Divided Dial, seasons 1 and 2 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  14. Trump's Refugee Program Is Reserved for Whites Only

    May 20

    Trump's Refugee Program Is Reserved for Whites Only

    This week, the President announced a proposed expansion of the America's refugee program - from 7,500 admissions to 17,500. But there's a caveat: those extra 10,000 spots are reserved for white South Africans. Last May, when the first round of Afrikaners arrived in the States, OTM host Micah Loewinger spoke to Carolyn Holmes, professor of political science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, about why Afrikaner white rights groups objected to the refugee policy, and the long-standing exchange of ideas between white nationalist elites in the US and South Africa. 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 min
  15. Pete Hegseth is Praying for a Holy War

    Apr 3

    Pete Hegseth is Praying for a Holy War

    The U.S. has waged war on Iran for more than a month now. On this week’s On the Media, what Defense Secretary Hegseth’s monthly Pentagon prayer meetings reveal about his war strategy. Plus, hear how trans rights are being curtailed across the country.  [01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Brian Kaylor, president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way and author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists, to talk about Defense Secretary Hegseth’s monthly prayer meetings at the Pentagon. They discuss what the violent rhetoric reveals about Hegseth’s approach to war and why these meetings signal a troubling fusion of church and state.  [18:46] Brooke talks with Marlene Laruelle, professor at Luiss University in Rome and director of the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University, about Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel’s series of lectures on religion, tech, politics, and society, which he took to the doorstep of the Vatican last month. They discuss his controversial beliefs about the antichrist, and what Thiel’s theology reveals about his desire to reorder politics. [33:04] Brooke speaks with Alejandra Caraballo, civil rights attorney and a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, about the torrent of legal attacks against trans people, and why she's been looking toward a legal framework invented in the wake of Nazi Germany, called "the dual state," to better understand this moment.  Further reading / watching: “At Pentagon Worship Service, Hegseth Casts Iran Conflict as Violent Holy War Against God’s Enemies,” by Brian Kaylor “Peter Thiel in Rome: Is Liberalism Ready for the Return of God?” by Marlene Laruelle “The Dual State of Trans Existence,” by Alejandra Caraballo 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    51 min
  16. Influencers Usher In A New Era For #MeToo

    Apr 18

    Influencers Usher In A New Era For #MeToo

    Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault. On this week’s On the Media, how two social media stars worked to make these allegations public. Plus, what it will take for Hungary to rebuild a robust independent press after years of crackdowns under Orban.  [01:00] Brooke speaks with Melanie Mason, POLITICO’s California Bureau Chief, to trace the “whisper network,” involving an education policy influencer with over 1.4 million followers, that exposed California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s history of sexual assault and resulted in his resignation from Congress and exit from the California gubernatorial race. Plus, what this reckoning reveals about the legacy of #MeToo.   [18:33] Host Brooke Gladstone sat down with Ivan Nagy, a political journalist and Delacorte Fellow at the Columbia Journalism Review from Hungary, days before the Hungarian election to discuss covering the lead-up, and the lasting damage inflicted on the press by Viktor Orban that will inevitably carry over into the next administration.  [34:50] Brooke calls up Ivan Nagy again after Hungary’s election last weekend to discuss what it was like on the ground in the aftermath of Peter Magyar’s historic win over Viktor Orban, and what the new Prime Minister could mean for the media.  Further reading / watching: “‘If Someone Lit Up a Match, the Place Would Explode,’” by Ivan L. Nagy “The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell,” by Melanie Mason and Jeremy White 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min
  17. Trump's Glitzy Library Grift

    May 6

    Trump's Glitzy Library Grift

    Last month, the Justice Department, in a startling move, issued a challenge the Presidential Records Act--saying that the bedrock law for keeping Oval Office archives available to the public goes too far. Ironic, considering how Donald Trump has boasted about his presidential library—the home of presidential archives—which renderings show to be a skyscraper (and possibly hotel) in downtown Miami.  Last summer, Brooke spoke with Tim Naftali, a Senior Research Scholar at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, about how President Trump has raised millions of dollars his future presidential library already, and why it should matter to the rest of us.  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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 min
  18. Trump Demands Patriotic Coverage of the War in Iran. Or Else….

    Mar 20

    Trump Demands Patriotic Coverage of the War in Iran. Or Else….

    President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are demanding “more patriotic” coverage of the widening war in Iran. On this week’s On the Media, hear how the Pentagon is cracking down on its publication, Stars and Stripes. Plus, fake AI images of the Iran war are proliferating, and they're getting more convincing. [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger breaks down the calls from the Trump administration for the media to produce “patriotic” coverage of the war in Iran. Plus, a closer look at the reporting by legacy outlets with journalist Minnah Arshad.  Arshad analyzed The New York Times’ early coverage of the war, and found that Iranian victims were underrepresented. Next, Micah sits down with scholar Mahsa Alimardani to discuss fake AI images of the Iran conflict, and how AI detection tools are being used to discredit authentic footage. [22:30] Micah speaks with Samantha Gross, the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, to dissect the developing energy crisis being caused by the disruption of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. [37:54] Host Brooke Gladstone talks to Erik Slavin, Editor-in-Chief of Stars and Stripes, the independent, award-winning newspaper that has served the military for roughly a century, about the Pentagon’s plan to crack down on their reporting and refocus their content away from “woke distractions.”  Further reading / watching: “First Draft: How the Media Manufactures Consent for War,” by Minnah Arshad and Andrew Perez “How AI Content Detection is Being Weaponized in the Iran War,” by Shirin Anlen and Mahsa Alimardani “The Fake Images of a Real Strike on a School,” by Mahsa Alimardani “Why Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz matters,” by Samantha Gross, Caitlin Talmadge, and Melanie W. Sisson “Pentagon says it will ‘refocus’ Stars and Stripes content,” by Corey Dickstein 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min
  19. How a Prison Fire Helped Create CBS News

    Apr 29

    How a Prison Fire Helped Create CBS News

    When CBS was founded in 1927, its radio programming focused on entertainment, music, and fun. That all changed when a horrific prison fire broke out at the Ohio Penitentiary in 1930. CBS aired on-the-spot coverage of the event, with Otto "Deacon" Gardner, an inmate in the prison, at the microphone. At the time, Gardner's gripping broadcast captured the attention of audiences across the country and started CBS on the path to creating the hard-hitting news that would define the network for nearly a century. Brooke sits down with historian A. Brad Schwartz, author of the recent piece CJR piece "The Eyewitness", to talk about this largely forgotten event in radio history and what it tells us about the type of radio reporting that speaks to listeners and builds trust with audiences.  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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    36 min
  20. The Pentagon Kicks the Press Out … Again

    Mar 27

    The Pentagon Kicks the Press Out … Again

    A judge ruled that the Pentagon’s recent restrictions on the press are unconstitutional. On this week’s On the Media, hear how Pete Hegseth’s ever-changing media policies have made it harder to cover military actions abroad. Plus, how a tenacious journalist used access to the Pentagon building to expose war crimes during the Vietnam War.  [01:00] Host Micah Loewinger sits down with Dan Lamothe, who covers the US military and Pentagon for the Washington Post, to talk about leaving the Pentagon press corps alongside reporters from major news outlets in October of last year, after refusing to sign onto stringent new rules on how they could do their reporting.   [09:45] Micah talks with Anna Merlan, senior reporter at Mother Jones, on the cast of right wing influencers and conspiracists now staffing the Pentagon press corps. Plus, Micah interviews content creator Cam Higby, a member of the new press corps, about why he agreed to the Pentagon’s restrictions on access. [33:23] Micah speaks with Laura Poitras, a journalist and filmmaker whose past works include CitizenFour, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and Risk, to discuss her latest documentary, Cover-Up, which chronicles the life of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh and his ferocious drive to uncover government wrongdoing, and what today’s press corps can learn from him.  Further reading / watching: “Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all,” by Alex Horton and Ellen Nakashima “‘Signalgate’ report contradicts Hegseth’s claim of ‘total exoneration’,”by Dan Lamothe “Meet the New Pentagon Press Corps,” by Anna Merlan Cover-Up, directed and produced by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus 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, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min
Brooke Gladstone on Apple