Making Contact

The business model of journalism is collapsing. Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs, newspapers are folding, and major dailies are in bankruptcy. This week we hear a discussion about government subsidies and new funding models to save the Fourth Estate.

Author Paul Loeb is re-releasing his book, ‘Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times’. He’s collected stories of everyday people working for social justice. On this edition, we’ll hear from Loeb and two people profiled in the book.

We present a panel discussion that looks at net neutrality and the digital divide. What is it? Why should we care? What’s at stake for immigrant communities and communities of color in the fight over who controls the Internet?

The climate talks at Copenhagen closed in 2009 with no binding agreements or timetables for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Only pledges were made to avoid more than a two degree Celsius temperature increase and avoid dangerous climate change. On this edition, we hear from climate justice activists who went to Copenhagen. They say we need a system change, not climate change.

Social programs have been cut, living wage jobs are scarce and our economic system is in upheaval. On this edition, we bring you the ColorLines TV special “Race and Economic Recovery,” featuring untold stories of how racism hurts all of our economic futures.

Dr. Joanna Macy is a long-time peace, justice, and ecology activist. A celebrated Buddhist teacher, Dr. Macy’s wide-ranging work spans Eastern and Western thought. She spoke at the 2009 Bioneers Conference held in San Rafael, CA.

We continue our series, How We Survive. This week? It’s a time of crisis in higher education. And as administrators cast an eye toward privatization, students are mobilizing for change…and a voice in the system.

Are food, housing, and health care human rights? A round table discussion about the right to healthy food, the right to housing, and the right to healthcare. Do Americans have these, and if not, what’s standing in the way?

It's a time of economic transition, and systems that may have seemed stable over the past few decades are proving to be far from it. But how did we get here? This week, we hear from three people who've been sounding the alarm about capitalism's house of cards for years.

In the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in recent history, we look at Haiti’s history with the United States, the militarization of American relief efforts, and the economic policies that have contributed to the devastation.