Hot Media with Bob Mann

The Trump Administration reportedly plans to ask Congress to cut funding for PBS and NPR. On this episode of Hot Media, titled "Public Media In Peril," host Bob Mann talks with Fordham University Professor Paul Levinson about the Administration's motivation, what public media means to the nation and what NPR and PBS must do to stay alive.

The HBO Sports documentary series Celtics City tells compelling stories about the impact of the Boston Celtics franchise on basketball, the City of Boston and race relations in America. More than anything, it's the story of the people who have been part of the Celtics dynasty. Bob's guest is Gabe Honig, the Co-Executive Producer and Show Runner for Celtics City.

Reality shows dominate broadcast TV, cable and streaming. The genre has now made it to to the university campus. On this month's episode of Hot Media, host Bob Mann talks with Fordham University Associate Professor Brandy Monk-Payton about her course which examines the ethics of reality television. Dr. Monk-Payton and her students explore what she calls the genre's "messy moral compass."

The debates are over, but the role of media grows even larger in the final month of the Presidential campaign. Attack ads on TV, angrier speeches and candidate appearances on podcasts and entertainment shows are all in play. Bob talks about it with journalist and professor Rem Rieder.

The September episode of Hot Media with Bob Mann focuses on the role played by media in the last weeks of the Presidential election. Just how important are debates and TV ads? What, if anything, can sway undecided voters? Bob's guest is Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University.

The July episode of Hot Media with Bob Mann focuses on media fallout from the June 27th televised Presidential debate. Bob's guest is journalist and professor Rem Rieder. Topics include the NY Times editorial calling for President Biden to step down as Democratic nominee, critiques of CNN moderators and how the debate will shape ads and news spin between now and election day.

From Cannes and the Palme d'Or to the MCU blockbusters, Hot Media with Bob Mann previews the 2024 Summer movie season with film expert Ryan Rolandelli.

The May 2024 episode of Hot Media with Bob Mann features a conversation with Malcolm Moran. Malcolm, a Hot Media regular, talks with Bob about coverage of the upcoming Olympics. Throughout the television era, broadcasting the Olympic games has been a challenging blend of sports, politics and historic events. This episode also features a discussion about the growing popularity of women's sports. Moran is Director of Sports Capital Journalism program and Professor of Practice at Indiana University-Indianapolis. In his great career, Malcolm was also a sports writer for the New York Times and USA Today.

Even people who have faithfully followed the news are now actively avoiding at least some of it. Researchers say that feelings of helplessness, concerns for mental health and burn out are among many potential factors. In this episode, host Bob Mann talks about "news avoidance."

Brilliant satirist Jon Stewart has been taking a lot of flack for his alleged "bothsidesism" when commenting on the Presidential election. In this episode, Bob discusses satire with Professor Paul Levinson. Later in the episode, Bob talks about the SAG Award winners.