There isn’t a documentary or news item that goes to air or print without a healthy does of research.   But how much is done and what lengths do journalists and producers go to for research before the story goes to the public and why does that matter to the consumer? We talk to CSA winning producer Marcelle Edwards about what makes great research.

It’s World Series time and people across North America, especially Canada, are glued to their screens watching the games.  But they are watching more than just the two teams on the field show off their craft. Highly skilled broadcast teams are capturing the action and interpreting for the viewers. So what happens during a baseball broadcast. Blue Jays statistician Scott Carson supplies the answers. 

For decades, broadcasting was a primary source for news and opinions, but the rise of podcasting has given the newer format a much bigger role in shaping opinions. 

According to the Podcasting index there are four and a half million podcasts worldwide. More than 100 thousand are published every three days. 584 million people have listened to podcasts so far this year, up more than 6 per cent from the same period last year.  You get the point. People listen to them. 
But are podcasts reliable? What role should they play in your information gathering diet?  

Former broadcast journalist and current owner of a podcast production company, Erin Trafford, gives us her unique insight.

You’d think every business could use a little free publicity, but according to businesses reporters, that’s not the case. So, what are businesses trying to hide from the public? In a time when two of the biggest stories in the world are the rising prosperity gap between the rich and poor, and the United States’s implementation of tariffs, business reporting has never been more important. But businesses reporting can be notoriously difficult. So, how do you report on businesses effectively? 

What will become of PBS? The Public Broadcasting Service is cultural fixture that has been operating in the United States for 55 years. It is a commercial free service with more than 300 member stations and is known for iconic programs like Sesame Street, NOVA,  Frontline, the PBS News Hour, Washington Week, and Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood to name a few. This rare platform for rare independent voices, and high quality documentaries is under fire.

It has been funded, at least in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting but the Trump administration is cutting that funding to PBS and NPR, National Public Radio. 

So what does that mean for those beloved programs and services?  Veteran broadcast executive Ed Hersh tells us what PBS really is, how it works, and what these cuts mean not only for its survival, but for voices independent of corporate backing.  

Are you getting the news you need to know or the news you'll watch or read? Is it really skewed to the negative? Who makes that decision anyway? On The Brothers In Media three former assignment editors explain how stories are picked for you to consume. Patrick Ho of the Toronto Star is our special guest. 

Sports is one of the last places people with major disagreements can come together. But, is sports media really journalism? And if it isn't, what separates it from the thousand of podcasts and blogs on the internet. Multiple Emmy Award winner Trevor Thompson, a fixture in the Detroit sports market for 25 years, joins the Bros Who Know to give us the inside scoop. 

How does a newsroom work? Do corporate overlords hand down stories to slavish employees? Is the influence more subtle than that?  Laura Boast, associate editor at Wise Publishing, Inc. has worked in many newsrooms, both print and broadcast, and knows the real deal. She's a straight shooter who is never afraid to speak her mind. Laura will tell you what really goes on behind the headlines. 

People's distrust of both science and media came to the forefront during the pandemic. Why have people lost faith in science? How can scientists and media help their own cause? Order of Canada winner, host, and author Jay Ingram, one of the best science communicators in Canadian history, talks to Scott and Craig about these issues. 

Some of the most influential opinon shows are classified as comedies. Are they reliable news sources? Why are comedy and news such a good match. Steve Patterson, the host of CBC's The Debaters join the Brothers in Media to discuss comedy and news.