Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with his Ithaca College WICB radio friend, Matt Feiler. We explore why taking time to unplug is vital for our mental health, relationships, and basic humanity.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Jewish Sabbath Ritual: Matt shares his weekly practice of completely disconnecting from sunset every Friday to sunset on Saturday to observe the Jewish Sabbath.
• Our Toxic Relationship with Social Media: We unpack the "fear of missing out" (FOMO) and the constant societal pressure to post. Matt shares a funny childhood story of being trivia-tested as the only person in his entire high school grade without a Facebook account, and explains why he still chooses to live without Twitter or Instagram (as of 2020).
• The Rise of Screen Time in Younger Generations: We discuss the risk of "deadlier and lonelier consequences" for kids who grow up interacting primarily through screens instead of physical, in-person socialization.
• Striking a Professional Balance: How do you build a necessary professional media presence without letting social media take over your life?

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: July 15, 2026

'Signal to Noise' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with fellow Ithaca College journalism student Tara Lynch. They unpack the psychology and culture behind binge-watching television.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Grey's Anatomy Marathon: Tara shares her monumental high school accomplishment of watching 12 years of Grey's Anatomy in just six months. We discuss whether binging is driven by genuine interest, or if it has simply become a "point of pride" to catch up with the other viewers.
• Consumerism & Spoiler Culture: Why do we binge? We explore how American consumer culture constantly demands the "next best thing". We also examine how the fear of social media spoilers, especially for shows like Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why, and the quarantine craze Tiger King, pressures audiences into consuming entire seasons as quickly as possible.
• Losing the Message: Tara argues that bingeing heavy, intense shows like Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere -executive produced by fellow Ithaca College alum Liz Tigelaar - can actually dilute the viewing experience. We discuss how viewers might miss out on deep societal messages and themes when they fly through a show without giving the material time to breathe.
• The Weekly Community: A look at what we lose when we abandon the weekly release model
• The Future of Bingeing & Pacing Yourself: Tara predicts how our TV consumption habits might fluctuate as pandemic restrictions ease up during the summer, but warns of another spike if schools and jobs remain remote in the fall. She leaves listeners with some great advice: Make sure you actually like the show you are watching, take breaks, go outside, and pace yourself.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 27, 2026

'Signal to Noise' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In Episode 18 (recorded in May 2020), host Vedant Akhauri reunites with his Ithaca College Television (ICTV) friends, Bailey Wilkinson and Sami Lemza. After meeting on the set of the pop-culture gaming ICTV show Game Over, the trio sits down to geek out over the evolution of superhero films, the dominance of the MCU, and what the future holds for the world's biggest blockbusters (based on 2020 when the episode was recorded).

We discuss:

• Comic Book Origins & Marvel vs. DC: The group shares their earliest memories of the superhero genre, from Christopher Reeve's Superman and the '60s Adam West Batman, to the cinematic impact of Sam Raimi's early Spider-Man films. They also debate the eternal question of Marvel vs DC.
• The Best and Worst of the Genre: We dive into our personal favorites and biggest flops. Sami praises the flawless execution of Into the Spider-Verse while passing on Joker, and Bailey champions the genre-blending Captain America: The Winter Soldier while hilariously roasting Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance and the cringe-worthy dialogue of 2016's Suicide Squad.
• The Representation Problem: We take a critical look at how massive studios handle diversity. The group contrasts the heavily criticized, forced "girl power" scene in Avengers: Endgame with the authentic, non-sexualized female camaraderie found in Birds of Prey. We also discuss the desperate need for more Asian representation in the MCU, expressing excitement for Eternals and Shang-Chi while calling out the whitewashing of the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.
• The MCU Formula & CGI: We analyze how Marvel changed the game by treating their cinematic universe like a massive television writers' room. Plus, a debate on the frustrating over-reliance on CGI environments vs. the magic of practical effects.
• A Post-Pandemic Pivot: How will the COVID-19 lockdown change the superhero genre?.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 27, 2026"Lightless Dawn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this special birthday episode (recorded in May 2020 to celebrate host Vedant Akhauri turning 20), Vedant is joined by his Ithaca College Television (ICTV) colleagues Olivia, Chloe, and Corey to talk all about video games. Together, they take a nostalgic and critical look back at the last two decades of gaming, crowning their personal picks for the best and worst video games of the 21st century so far.

Here is a breakdown of their games. Which made the childhood memories? The best? The worst? Check out the episode to find out:

• Super Mario (NES)
• Secret of Mana
• Forza Motorsport
• Arctic Thunder
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Type to Learn
• Reader Rabbit
• LeapFrog games
• Mario Kart (Gamecube)
• Uncharted series (specifically Uncharted 2, but also 1, 3, and 4)
• Transistor
• Pokémon Gen 4 (specifically Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, and the Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky series)
• Outer Wilds
• Life is Strange
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
• What Remains of Edith Finch
• The Last of Us (and the Left Behind DLC)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (with shoutouts to The Witcher 1, 2, Skyrim, and Cyberpunk 2077)
• Detroit: Become Human (Olivia's best pick, which brings up mentions of Heavy Rain and The Wolf Among Us)
• The Beginner's Guide
• Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
• I Spy Treasure Hunt (along with Spooky Mansion, Fantasy, and Mystery 2)
• To the Moon (and the sequel Finding Paradise)
• Portal and Portal 2
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• Jackbox Party Games (specifically Quiplash)
• Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
• God of War (2018)
• Sonic '06 and Sonic Unleashed (with passing mentions to Sonic and the Black Knight and Sonic Forces)
• No Man's Sky
• Watch Dogs
• Assassin's Creed Unity
• Harvest Moon (contrasted with the much better Stardew Valley)
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
• Detroit: Become Human (Corey completely disagrees with Olivia and places it on his worst list)
• Dear Esther (with a passing mention of Death Stranding)
• Minecraft (and Minecraft Dungeons)
• Animal Crossing
• Xerxes (An upcoming indie game on PlayStation Dreams co-written by Corey)
• Fortnite (Jokingly brought up in the bloopers as the worst game)
• Hand Simulator (Bloopers)

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 27, 2026

Song Credit: HolFix - Wasted Panther (Chiptune)

Song Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@holfix

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast (recorded in May 2020), host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Dan Rogers, a politics major at Ithaca College and a friend from WICB 91.7 FM. Together, they unpack the explosive popularity of the viral Netflix docuseries, Tiger King. As they dissect the show's bizarre cast of characters, they raise important questions about documentary ethics and sensationalism.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Quarantine Phenomenon: We discuss how the boredom of the COVID-19 lockdown created the perfect storm for Tiger King to become a massive cultural phenomenon, driven by Twitter memes and the collective need for outrageous stimulus while stuck at home.
• Entertainment vs. Journalism: Dan argues that Tiger King prioritizes bizarre, outrageous plot points over genuine social commentary or exploring economic impacts.
• Missed Opportunities & Bias: We discuss the show's failure to deeply investigate the structural forces behind the illegal animal trade.
• Trusting the Subjects: When dealing with characters who are heavily involved in exploitative practice - like Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic - we debate the difficulty of trusting the subjects' testimonies.
• Nicolas Cage & The Future of Docs: We share our excitement for Nicolas Cage taking on the role of Joe Exotic in a future adaptation. We also express concern that the success of Tiger King will push future filmmakers toward prioritizing bizarre sensationalism over vital, societal storytelling.
• Dream Documentaries: In a fun pivot, Dan shares his desire for documentaries exploring American folk music or the punk rock movement, while Vedant pitches a hyper-specific doc detailing the troubled production of the movie Spider-Man 3.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 21, 2026

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with his former high school broadcast journalism classmate and college tennis player, Katherine Jakeway.

Having played on the Women's Tennis team at SMU (Southern Methodist University), Katherine shares her firsthand athletic experiences. Together, they unpack the glaring double standards in how male and female athletes are portrayed in the media and the toxic societal expectations placed on their bodies.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Serena Williams Double Standard: We discuss how one of the greatest athletes of all time has been unfairly criticized for her powerful physique and passionate on-court behavior. Katherine notes that if a male athlete showed the same emotion or power, society wouldn't say a word because it is expected of men.
• Functionality vs. Elegance: Katherine breaks down the damaging expectation that women's bodies should look like Victoria's Secret models. She emphasizes that female athletes train for strength, explosiveness, and functionality - not elegance - and we need to stop expecting sports to look graceful.
• Historical Context & Media Coverage: A look at the vital impact of Title IX, which finally mandated equal federal funding for male and female students in 1972. We also discuss the staggering statistic that women's sports receive less than 10% of sports media coverage, and how 2012 was the very first year the Olympics featured an equal number of male and female sports.
• Toxic Expectations for Men: The conversation highlights how rigid societal standards also harm men, where they are expected to be overly bulky, overly aggressive, and completely void of emotion.
• Navigating Body Image: Katherine opens up about her personal journey of struggling with body image as a tall athlete who easily gains muscle.
• The COVID-19 Impact: Katherine shares her firsthand experience of having her spring college tennis season abruptly canceled midway through due to the pandemic.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 21, 2026

'Signal to Noise' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode, host Vedant Akhauri welcomes back Ithaca College student and former WICB news director, Bridget Bright. Arriving just in time for Pride Month, this episode dives into the stunning French historical drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Together, they unpack why this foreign film resonated so deeply with audiences and why accurate, non-exploitative queer representation is so vital in modern media.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Power of the Period Piece: Bridget explains why setting the film in the 1770s is so significant. It also provides a unique lens into the struggles for female autonomy.
• Hiding From Themselves: We discuss the relatable modern parallels within the film. Bridget shares how the characters' struggles to accept their feelings, along with the painful necessity of hiding their love, accurately mirror the journey of self-doubt that many queer individuals still face today.
• A Universal Human Experience: We explore how its heartbreaking yet hopeful ending ultimately captures a universal message about the profound impact of deep, lasting human connection.
• A Lesson for Hollywood: Should Hollywood make an American remake of the film? She emphasizes that the industry needs to hire queer women - directors, writers, and cast members - to tell their own authentic stories, pointing out that Portrait succeeded specifically because it was created by queer women.
• Queer Cinema Recommendations: Bridget shares her top recommendations for other films that beautifully capture the LGBTQ+ and female experience, including the Kenyan film Rafiki, the skateboarding drama Skate Kitchen, Pariah, and the coming-of-age romance Call Me By Your Name.

You can check out Bridget's graphic design and artwork on Instagram @bybridgetbright. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes.

You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 21, 2026 (Note: Wow, missed the 6-year-anniversary by a day!)

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Hannah Breisinger, a 2019 Ithaca College grad and reporter/host for the NPR affiliate WHQR in Wilmington, North Carolina. Hannah shares what it is like navigating the fast-paced news cycle during a global pandemic and historic BLM civil rights protests, proving exactly why local journalism is more crucial than ever.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Broadcasting During a Pandemic: Hannah discusses working at a small NPR affiliate during the early months of COVID-19. She explains the domino effect of sickness on a small staff, and how her station adapted to remote broadcasting to keep their essential coverage on the air.
• National vs. Local News & The 1898 Coup: Hannah gives a brilliant defense of local journalism by bringing up the 1898 Wilmington massacre - the only successful coup d'état on American soil, where a thriving Black community and local newspaper were destroyed by white supremacists. She explains how local reporters possess this vital historical context to properly report on modern racial tensions, whereas parachuting national reporters often miss the full picture.
• The Pitfalls of Citizen Journalism: We explore a nuanced take on getting your news directly from Twitter. While acknowledging the power of social media, Hannah warns that citizen journalists lack the training to provide full context, noting how easily short video clips can be chopped up or manipulated just to get likes and retweets.
• Redefining Impartiality: Hannah challenges traditional journalistic "objectivity". She argues that acknowledging the facts of systemic racism and police brutality is not a partisan stance, but a factual one. She notes that ignoring these realities in the name of strict "impartiality" does a massive disservice to the community being covered.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with his former Ithaca College TV Production professor, Pete Johanns. With a rich background as a television news producer, reporter, anchor, and PBS documentary filmmaker, Pete brings decades of experience to a deep dive into how consumer control over media access has completely transformed the information landscape.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Carnival Tents" of Media: Pete discusses the massive shift from the rigid schedules of 20th-century news (waiting for the 6:00 PM broadcast or the morning paper) to today's on-demand internet landscape. He uses a "carnival" analogy to explain how audiences went from choosing between just three network tents to an explosion of endless, specialized options online.
• Echo Chambers & Information Overload: While access has increased, Pete warns about the dangers of niche programming. We discuss how consumers often seek out "tents" that strictly reinforce their existing personal beliefs, leading to tunnel vision and a lack of exposure to differing perspectives. We also touch on the societal anxiety caused by constant information overload.
• The Business of Big Media: Why do people distrust mainstream news?
• Citizen Journalism vs. Brand Trust: We explore the rise of regular people distributing news on platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
• BLM News Coverage: We discuss the coverage of the ongoing BLM protests in Summer 2020.
• The Myth of Neutrality: Pete argues that true journalistic neutrality does not exist, as everyone has inherent personal bias. Instead, we discuss how language and visuals subtly shape a narrative.

• The Future of Entertainment: Looking ahead, Pete predicts a post-pandemic surge in cheap, unscripted reality television, and suggests that traditional movie theaters will have to evolve to compete against streaming platforms.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 19, 2026

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri explores why the radio industry is far from dying, it is simply evolving. Featuring two distinct conversations, this episode dives into the creative freedom of fictional radio dramas and the critical, artistic importance of audio journalism.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Boundless Nature of Audio Dramas: Ithaca College students Noah Pantano and Jay Bradley discuss founding TNT Radio Productions. TNT Radio Productions is an organization dedicated to creating new and original works for the radio/podcast format. They explain why audio storytelling is only limited by imagination, noting that you don't need a $3 million budget for massive set pieces when you can build entire worlds creatively through sound.
• Freedom from the Radio Waves: Noah and Jay explain how the podcast boom has revived the radio drama format. There's less monitoring, allowing creators to tell more diverse and experimental stories.
• Producing During a Pandemic: A look at how TNT Radio Productions adapted to the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown, using Discord, home recording equipment, and virtual collaboration to piece together their mystery adaptation, Clouds of Witness, and an original script, The Assist.
• March 2026 Update: The production discussed in my interview with Jay and Noah, Clouds of Witness, has finally been released on ⁠YouTube⁠ and your favorite podcast apps.
• Radio vs. TV Journalism: We are then joined by Peter Champelli, the Station Manager for WICB 91.7 FM. Peter breaks down why he views radio journalism as the most artistic form of reporting.
• Why Radio is Not Dead: Peter argues that radio is evolving, not dying, comparing its trajectory to the transition from print to online media. He emphasizes that local radio stations remain crucial pillars of the community, while successfully expanding their reach through original, on-demand podcasts.
• The Cultural Impact of Podcasts: Peter discusses the podcasts that shaped his love for audio, including how Serial pushed the medium into mainstream pop-culture conversations, and his deep appreciation for Radiolab's innovative, fast-paced audio production.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava

Remastered: June 19, 2026. Because we're talking about radio, the original audio has an Old Radio filter. I don't have the original files anymore, so remnants of that filter remain in certain sections of the remastered audio.

 "The Voices" by Josh Woodward. Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/