On the Media

Did Farhad "Unplug"?


Listen Later

Last week we spoke with New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo after he published an article titled, “For two months, I got my news from print newspapers. Here’s what I learned.” He wrote that, earlier this year, "after the breaking-newsiest year in recent memory, I decided to travel back in time. I turned off my digital news notifications, unplugged from Twitter and other social networks, and subscribed to home delivery of three print newspapers.” It was a crash diet.  Lots of healthy analog, and just a little digital — podcasts, email newsletters — for dessert.

Farhad found the experience so uplifting and liberating that he was moved to evangelize. He told Bob during their conversation, which you can still listen to, "I boiled it down into three Michael Pollan-esque prescriptions: Get news, not too quick, avoid social."

The only problem was, according to analysis by Dan Mitchell in the Columbia Journalism Review and Joshua Benton of Harvard’s Nieman Lab, Farhad spent most of his 48-day diet sneaking into the fridge. In the time that he was supposedly “unplugged” from Twitter news, he had tweeted hundreds and hundreds of times. Not the crime of the century — but still, oops.

And so Farhad spoke with Bob once more, to explain his rather involved definition of the word "unplugged," and to admit that old habits die hard.

 

 

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, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

On the MediaBy WNYC Studios

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

8,719 ratings


More shows like On the Media

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,133 Listeners

The Brian Lehrer Show by WNYC

The Brian Lehrer Show

1,550 Listeners

On Point | Podcast by WBUR

On Point | Podcast

3,902 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,969 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,949 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,189 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,954 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,162 Listeners

Death, Sex & Money by Slate Podcasts

Death, Sex & Money

7,701 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,269 Listeners

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

3,521 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,670 Listeners

More Perfect by WNYC Studios

More Perfect

14,429 Listeners

1A by NPR

1A

4,624 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,917 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,321 Listeners

Spooked by KQED and Snap Studios

Spooked

16,398 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,043 Listeners

Strict Scrutiny by Crooked Media

Strict Scrutiny

5,687 Listeners

Dolly Parton's America by WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Dolly Parton's America

16,352 Listeners

Radiolab for Kids by WNYC

Radiolab for Kids

1,049 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,335 Listeners