On The Media

November 6, 2009 (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

The ethical dilemma of reporting from Waziristan; say hello to pay walls; the real story of a famous Berlin Wall moment

Covering the Third War (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:55 GMT

The US is (unofficially) at war in Pakistan, where reporters face pressure to cover the search for Al Qaeda in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan. But the area is virtually inaccessible to most journalists and information is tightly controlled by the Pakistani military. Journalist Shahan Mufti says reporting from the region poses several ethical dilemmas.

A Higher Power (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:24 GMT

While there were only a handful of U.S. unmanned aerial drones in 2003, there are now some 7,000 that the military relies on for many of its objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But P.W. Singer, author of Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century explains that these robots are hardly risk-free and have a profound impact both at home and abroad.

TV's Unlikely Ally (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:17 GMT

As the DVR became more and more popular, many in the TV industry feared that commercial-skipping would destroy the medium. But it turns out many DVR-users still watch commercials. Bill Carter of the New York Times says the numbers are startling and the DVR actually helps ratings.

Is Paid Content Nigh? (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:03 GMT

News Corp and The New York Times have suggested they might start charging for web content. Last week Newsday did start charging for access to its website. Does this mean the days of completely free news websites are over? Steven Brill is founder of Journalism Online, a company that works with over a thousand news organizations to help monetize online content. He says the moment has come to pay up.

Refusing to Pay (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:35 GMT

Accessing full Newsday articles online costs $5 per week if you don't subscribe to the print edition or Optimum Online. When Newsday columnist Saul Friedman found out he quit. After 13 years of writing for the paper, Friedman says many of his readers will no longer be able to read his column and so he'd rather blog elsewhere.

Finding Utopia (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:18 GMT

Last month, John Harris, a legendary reporter for the National Enquirer, died at the age of 76. One of his colleagues, David Wright, talks about Harris's most famous assignment for the Enquirer: a search for Utopia.

Update (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:19 GMT

The photos depicting the mistreatment of Abu Ghraib prisoners shocked the world. New photos of detainee abuse are known to exist, and the Obama Administration initially said they would share them with the public. But then Obama changed his mind, arguing the nature of the images could endanger U.S. soldiers. Last week he signed a law to keep them secret.

Shields Up (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:20 GMT

This month, the White House and the Senate reached a compromise that makes it likely the nation will pass a federal shield law. CW Andersen, a blogger for Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab, talks about who the law will cover, and the compromises journalists have made to get it enacted.

Tear Down This Quote (On The Media: Friday, 06 November 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:28 GMT

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. While President Ronald Reagan famously told Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," another more mysterious quote attributed to Gorbachev would dominate the communist narrative of the fall of the Berlin Wall. WNYC reporter Brian Zumhagen tells the story and impact of both.

October 30, 2009 (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:58 GMT

A judge demands to see the grades of journalism students working to free prisoners; A local TV news director explains why she had to air footage of a savage murder and what happens to the unfinished work of famous authors after they die.

Investigating the Investigators (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:39 GMT

The Medill Journalism School and the Cook County District Attorney in Chicago are locked in a legal battle over a murder investigation conducted by Medill students as part of the Innocence Project. The DA has subpoenaed the students' academic records. Medill Dean John Lavine says the students are journalists, protected under the Illinois Shield Law.

The Innocence Mission (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:41 GMT

Pete Shellem, a reporter for the Central Pennsylvania paper, the Patriot-News, died last week. Shellem was best known for his investigative journalism, which directly led to the freeing of four prisoners serving life sentences for murder. Mike Feeley, Shellem's editor at the paper, recalls Shellem's accomplished career.

Take For Granted (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:42 GMT

A recent report from the Columbia School of Journalism included a half dozen ideas for how to salvage the Fourth Estate. One in particular – that local news outlets be allowed to apply for government-funded grants – prompted many skeptical responses. Leonard Downie, former executive editor of The Washington Post and co-author of the report, reacts to the reaction.

News Ex Machina (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:42 GMT

Online content provider Demand Media has found a formula, literally, for generating its many, often instructional, articles and videos. Think of it as a cut-rate Associated Press, except instead of human beings thinking up story ideas an algorithm does. Wired magazine’s Daniel Roth explains.

The Right Place at the Wrong Time (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:21 GMT

The story of 16 year-old Chicago student Derrion Albert being beaten to death outside his high school became a national story after video surfaced of the beating. The video is horrifying even in today’s violence-soaked media landscape. Fox Chicago was the first outlet to acquire the footage and news director Carol Fowler explains why it was their journalistic duty to air it.

The Fear Factor (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:20 GMT

Is our fear of biotechnology impeding the scientific progress we once revered? Michael Specter thinks so. In his new book Denialism, Specter says irrational thinking has led the opposition of vaccines and genetically modified food. The internet and the news media aren’t helping either.

Last Words (On The Media: Friday, 30 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:19 GMT

When Vladimir Nabokov died he left explicit instructions to burn his unfinished novel. But The Original of Laura will be published this month. Slate's Ron Rosenbaum, a huge Nabokov fan (and perhaps one of the reasons why the book will be published), says he's conflicted about whether publishing is the right decision.

October 23, 2009 (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:15 GMT

Special: The Future of the Music Industry

Facing the (Free) Music (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:16 GMT

For 10 years, music execs have waged a war against digital file sharing -- and software like Napster and websites like The Pirate Bay -- which have decimated the industry’s profits. But recently, there are signs from Europe that the battle over free music may be changing.

They Say That I Stole This (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:17 GMT

Twenty years ago a series of lawsuits criminalized the hip-hop sampling of artists like Hank Shocklee and Public Enemy. And yet, two decades later, artists like Girl Talk have found success breaking those same sampling laws. OTM producer Jamie York talks to Girl Talk, Shocklee and Duke Law professor James Boyle about two decades of sampling - on both sides of the law.

Played Out (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:17 GMT

Recorded music might be easier than ever to get for free, but seeing live music is getting more and more expensive. Veteran concert promoter John Scher says this is due to a decade of consolidation. He says not only does it hurt fans who can’t afford tickets that ultimately it’s an unsustainable model.

* Podcast Extra: Teens on Tunes * (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:19 GMT

A recent Pew Internet survey found that three out of every four teenagers who download music agree with the statement, "file-sharing is so easy to do, it's unrealistic to expect people not to do it." We spent some time this week talking with high school students in Manhattan to find out what albums teenagers are listening to, and, more importantly, how they got them.

Charting the Charts (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:20 GMT

The music charts have traditionally relied on album sales and radio plays to rank songs and albums. So what do the charts mean today when there are so many other ways to listen to music? OTM producer Mark Phillips reports that charts as well as the very notion of popularity are changing.

"Why I'm not Afraid to Take your Money" (On The Media: Friday, 23 October 2009)

onthemedia@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:21 GMT

A frequent refrain in the music industry is that the future is not about selling CDs, but about creating relationship between musicians and fans. If it's true, musician Amanda Palmer is a good case study. One half of the band The Dresden Dolls, she explains that she raised $19,000 from her fans on Twitter in just 10 hours.