Bob Schieffer's "about The News" With H. Andrew Schwartz

In this episode, we talk to Media Nation blogging guru Dan Kennedy about the future of newspapers and the technology that is changing the media landscape. Kennedy, a professor at Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and author of “The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age,” discusses his often cited analysis of how the Washington Post is being run by its new owner Jeff Bezos and how the paper has been transformed into a model media and technology company. Dan and Bob Schieffer first met last spring at the Harvard Kennedy School, where Kennedy was a Joan Shorenstein Fellow and Bob was the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow. Kennedy is currently working on book project called “The Return of the Moguls,” which will be about the Post under Bezos, the Boston Globe under Red Sox principal owner John Henry, and the Orange County Register under entrepreneur Aaron Kushner, to be published by ForeEdge in 2017. Kennedy is a frequent contributor to Harvard’s Niem

Maureen Dowd, the superstar New York Times columnist and political observer has a new book out September 13 "The Year of Voting Dangerously: The Derangement of American Politics." On the eve of her book release, as only Dowd can, she dissects this perilous and shocking campaign season where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are locked in a race to overcome their respective negatives. In this episode, we ask Dowd about the news behind the psychologies and pathologies of one of the nastiest and most significant battles of the sexes ever.  Download transcript here.

The Daily Beast’s national security correspondent, Nancy Youssef, is an Egyptian-American journalist, a Muslim and perhaps most of all, according to her, an advocate for her readers. In this episode, Nancy, a former Baghdad bureau chief and Middle East correspondent, talks about life in the war zone from Iraq to Libya and what it was like covering Cairo during the immediate aftermath of the Arab spring. She also tell us what she has overheard at the Pentagon (her catch phrase) and the journalists’ dilemma of working in an era where eyeball numbers matter and stories are published without editorial oversight. Download transcript here.

From TV green rooms to the corridors of the senate to the latest hashtag revolt, Mediaite.com has become a source on the intersection of politics and media across the political spectrum. On this episode of “About the News,” Mediaite founder Dan Abrams who is also ABC News’s legal analyst, discusses the ingredients that make content unique, how his media company engages audiences, the state of the cable news wars and what the big three broadcast networks deliver in the current media landscape. Abrams, who left MSNBC to found the Abrams Media Network also talks about the digitally native websites his company has developed in addition to Mediaite: The Mary Sue, The Braiser, Runway Riot and Law Newz.  Download transcript here.

News anchor, field reporter, documentarian, producer and business woman, Soledad O’Brien does it all. One of the most entrepreneurial journalists of her generation, Soledad talks about her career, her craft, race in America and about what it’s like to interview people who contradict themselves on this episode of “About the News.” Download transcript here.

Steve Jobs launched the first ever podcast on stage with Walt Mossberg at Mossberg’s now legendary “All Things Digital Conference.” Mossberg, widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential journalists co-founded Recode. As executive editor of The Verge and Recode Editor-at-Large, Mossberg is at the forefront of the news media’s digital transformation. In this podcast, Mossberg provides unique insight into podcasting, the future of news and publishing and what it’s like to be entrepreneurial as a journalist. Download transcript here.

CBS News Foreign Correspondent Holly Williams talks about reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous places—watching the attempted coup in Turkey from the balcony of her home as fighter jets flew overhead, being followed by authorities in China, rolling with the Peshmerga in Iraq, going undercover in Bangladesh and other stories from the front lines of global conflict. Download transcript here.

New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger talks about his lengthy interviews with Donald Trump on foreign policy, the DNC hack attack and what goes into reporting on the biggest cybersecurity stories of the decade. Download transcript here.

In this episode of About the News, Andrew interviews Bob at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the 25th national political convention Bob has covered as a journalist. Bob provides observations of both the Democratic and Republican Conventions, talks about how traditional and non-traditional media organizations are covering the events and discusses Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as candidates. Download transcript here.

Managing Editor John Cutter talks about covering the Orlando attack, survival in the newspaper business, checks on government, innovation and more.  Download transcript here.