Media And Politics Podcast

A conversation with Derrick Z. Jackson, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2016), Boston Globe essayist, and a climate and energy writer for the Union of Concerned Scientists, about his new research paper examining the failure of national media outlets to respond to the Flint water crisis in an urgent manner, as well as biases in coverage.  Jackson asks what catastrophes might have been averted had national media outlets stepped in sooner—and why it took so long for the Flint water crisis to become a story worthy of national attention. He points to a lack of newsroom diversity, a history of national media paying little attention to environmental justice in communities of color, and the tendency to act only after harm has been verified by doctors and scientists—rather than in response to widespread citizen concern.   Full paper: https://shorensteincenter.org/environmental-justice-unjust-coverage-of-the-flint-water-crisis/

A conversation with Zack Exley, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (spring 2017), organizer and author, about his new research paper which dives into a little-known part of the alt-right media landscape, revealing its influence and worldview. In the paper, which can be read in full at shorensteincenter.org, Exley writes that political channels on YouTube are currently dominated by the right wing. Although often overlooked by mainstream society, these channels receive millions of views, espousing recycled National Socialist and white nationalist ideologies with a modern twist. The alt-right uses these channels to build influence and spread its ideas among its audience, much as right-wing talk radio has for decades. Exley examines the content of one of these channels, "Black Pigeon Speaks," uncovering the worldview put forth by the channel’s host.    Full paper: https://shorensteincenter.org/anatomy-of-alt-right-youtuber

A conversation with Meighan Stone, Entrepreneurship Fellow (spring 2017) and former president of the Malala Fund, about her new research paper which argues that the predominantly negative coverage of Muslims and refugees on U.S. TV news contributes to negative public opinion of Muslims, and in turn, policies such as President Trump's "Muslim Ban." The paper, which you can read in full at shorensteincenter.org, analyses the major newscasts of three outlets—CBS, Fox, and NBC—and finds that during a two-year period from 2015-2017, there was not a single month where positive stories about Muslims outnumbered negative stories. War and terrorist activities were the major focus of news reports, with ISIS serving as protagonist 75 percent of the time, while positive coverage, such as human interest stories or those depicting Muslims as productive members of society, were overlooked.  Full paper: https://shorensteincenter.org/media-coverage-muslims-refugee-policy/

Yeganeh Rezaian, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (fall 2016) and Iranian journalist, talks about her new paper, "How Women Journalists Are Silenced in a Man's World: The Double-Edged Sword of Reporting from Muslim Countries," available to read in full at shorensteincenter.org. The paper shines a light on the difficulties women reporters face while working in Muslim countries, as well as the importance of the stories they tell. Rezaian, who formerly worked for Bloomberg News and The National, was imprisoned in Tehran along with her husband Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post. She shares her own stories of being silenced and harassed, as well as those of other women reporters. In addition to imprisonment, women journalists in Muslim countries can experience online harassment and blackmail, defamation of character, unwanted advances in exchange for access, and the expectation to ask softball questions of officials, among other problems. Despite these challenges, women reporters continue to work to tell important storie

A conversation with Helen Boaden, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (spring 2017) and former BBC News and BBC Radio director, about her new research paper comparing the BBC’s value of impartiality to the American value of objectivity in journalism, and the pressures placed on both in their respective environments. Boaden explains how although the BBC receives funding from a license fee and is not subject to the commercial pressures that American news outlets face, political pressures can still affect its survival and independence. Beyond money and politics, the nature of the modern news cycle can subvert journalists’ values. The full paper, which can be read at shorensteincenter.org, reviews election coverage in the US, touches on the BBC’s coverage during the Brexit referendum, and looks at the challenges arising from the spread of disinformation and fake news.  Full paper: https://shorensteincenter.org/unbiased-reporting-brexit-trump-uk

Tom Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at Harvard Kennedy School, and Nicco Mele, director of the Shorenstein Center, discuss Professor Patterson's new study on media coverage of Donald Trump's first 100 days as President. The study is based on an analysis of news reports in the print editions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, the main newscasts of CBS, CNN, and Fox News, and three European news outlets (The UK’s Financial Times and BBC, and Germany’s ARD). The study found that President Trump dominated media coverage in the outlets and programs analyzed, with Trump being the topic of 41 percent of all news stories—three times the amount of coverage received by previous presidents. He was also the featured speaker in nearly two-thirds of his coverage. This Shorenstein Center Media and Politics Podcast episode was recorded May 16, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Sarah Smarsh, a reporter on socioeconomic class, politics, and policy for The New Yorker, The Guardian, Harper’s online, and other publications, discussed media coverage of class in the U.S. in a conversation with Shorenstein Center director Nicco Mele. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded April 18, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Yochai Benkler, professor at Harvard Law School and co-director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, discussed his recent study on conservative media and the 2016 election, which analyzed more than 1.25 million stories published online between April 1, 2015 and Election Day, 2016. This Shorenstein Center event was recorded April 5, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Bhaskar Sunkara, editor and publisher of Jacobin magazine, discussed his views on leftist politics in the United States during a visit to the Shorenstein Center. Sunkara also discussed the intersection of race and class, work and automation, the decline of unions, and other topics. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded April 4, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School.   

Masha Gessen, author and New York Times contributing opinion writer, shared her views on Presidents Trump and Putin, and words of caution for journalists covering the Trump administration’s alleged connections to Russia, during a visit to the Shorenstein Center. Gessen also discussed her forthcoming book, The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia, quality of life and recent protests in Russia, and other topics. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded March 28, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School.   

Doug Elmendorf, Dean of Harvard Kennedy School and former director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from 2009-2015, discussed why the CBO exists, how it works, and how the media reports on its findings, in a conversation at the Shorenstein Center. Dean Elmendorf also discussed how the CBO makes its forecasts compared to those of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the dynamic scoring process, and other topics. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded March 22, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School.   

Jorge Ramos delivers the keynote speech at the 2017 Goldsmith Awards for Political Journalism, after receiving the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism. Ramos spoke about being an immigrant and journalist in the age of President Trump. This audio from the Goldsmith Awards Ceremony was recorded March 2, 2017, in the JFK Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Farai Chideya, Joan Shorenstein Fellow and senior writer at FiveThirtyEight, and Zack Exley, Joan Shorenstein Fellow and senior advisor to Bernie Sanders’ campaign, discussed the role of race and class in the 2016 presidential election. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded March 7, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Helen Boaden, spring 2017 Joan Shorenstein Fellow and director of BBC Radio, and Ann Marie Lipinski, curator for the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, discussed the role of the press and social media in the Brexit referendum and the US presidential election. This Herbert C. Kelman Seminar on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution was recorded February 27, 2017, at Harvard University.   

Rick Stengel, Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow, discussed the differences between working in media and government, the Trump administration’s relationship with the press and how terrorist groups use social media, among other topics at the Shorenstein Center. Stengel served as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs from 2014-2016, and is former managing editor for Time magazine. He is currently an advisor to Snapchat. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded February 28, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Dafna Linzer, managing editor of politics for NBC News and MSNBC, shared insights about covering the 2016 campaign and the Trump administration. The discussion included President Trump’s media viewing habits, why the President’s tweets are newsworthy, and how the press corps will have to adapt. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded February 21, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School.       

David Fahrenthold, a political reporter for The Washington Post, discussed his investigations of President Trump’s charitable giving during the 2016 campaign season, and provided insight about how to cover the president and his administration during a visit to the Shorenstein Center. Fahrenthold recently won acclaim for his coverage of the 2016 United States presidential election, particularly his investigations of Donald Trump’s charitable foundation and philanthropic giving. Fahrenthold also discusses some of the humorous details about how he tracked down information for his investigations, why he became a journalist, how to measure and increase the impact of investigative political reporting, Jeff Bezos’ impact on The Washington Post, and what he would change about 2016 election coverage. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on February 7, 2017, at Harvard Kennedy School.   

A panel discussion about the 2016 election and news coverage featuring: Bob Schieffer, Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow, political contributor to CBS News, and former moderator of “Face the Nation”; Nancy Kaffer, columnist for Detroit Free Press and winner of the 2016 David Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism; Derrick Z. Jackson, Joan Shorenstein Fellow and Boston Globe essayist; and Michael Tomasky, special correspondent for The Daily Beast. Moderated by Nicco Mele, director, Shorenstein Center, and recorded on November 16, 2016, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

The 2016 Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics was delivered by Larry Wilmore, comedian, producer and writer, and former host of Comedy Central's "The Nightly Show". He discussed the aftermath of the 2016 election, the role of comedy in politics and much more in a hilarious self-interview recorded at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School on November 15, 2016. 

Sissela Bok, writer, philosopher, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, provided a nuanced view on how lies and secrets in politics have impacted public trust and the 2016 election. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on November 1, 2016, at Harvard Kennedy School.