NPC Update-1 Podcast

Conspiracy theories have always existed in the United States, but now experts say they're spreading faster than ever. Surveys show the number of Americans who doubt the media, politicians, science and even each other. In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast Committee member Irv Chapman talks with veteran journalist Larry Barrett about the recent rise in conspiracy theories and the role social media has played. They discuss the increasing number of political conspiracy theories on issues such as the 2020 presidential election, the Jan. 6 insurrection, immigration and COVID-19.They also talk about what social media companies can do to combat conspiracy theories.

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In this edition of Update-1, Washington, D.C. Ward 2 councilmember Brooke Pinto has ideas on how to help businesses that have suffered as a result of  COVID-19. She also discusses why she thinks legislation she has introduced could help not only in the district but throughout the country and why she believes flexible work schedules will become more popular in the future.

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What motivates Russian President Vladimir Putin? In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast team member Lincoln Smith discusses Putin and the Russian people with David Satter, a former Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times and a former special correspondent on Soviet affairs for The Wall Street Journal. They talk about the challenges of reading Putin's mind and whether he's an enemy or a friend to the Russian people. Satter offers his thoughts on why Russia invaded Ukraine and Putin's long-term goals. He also talks about Russia having a history of underestimating enemies, with the Ukraine resistance being no exception.

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The group Media Literacy Now works to ensure that students learn the literacy skills they'll need to function as productive adults. The efforts of MLN in several states could impact more than 10 million children. In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast Committee member Gemma Puglisi interviews former journalist Erin McNeill, the founder of Media Literacy Now, about what media literacy is, why it's so important in the 21st century and how the organization came to be. McNeil also explains why media literacy is considered a key communication skill by business leaders and why it's important for students to begin learning about it at a young age.

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A National Press Club Zoom event in early April that examined the career of broadcast legend Edward R. Murrow, who set the standard for broadcast journalism with his reporting from London during World War II, is the focus of this edition of Update-1. Murrow's son Casey Murrow, an honorary NPC member, along with Marvin Kalb, the last correspondent hired by Murrow at CBS, talk about Murrow's life and legacy. They're joined by former NPC Presidents Mike Freedman and Mark Hamrick, National Press Club Journalism Institute President Gil Klein and NPC Board of Governors Chair Kimberly Adams in discussing Murrow's impact and influence on 21st-century reporting.

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Syria, Mexico, China and Russia are just a few of the countries where press freedom is already severely curtailed or under increasing threat, according to new National Press Club press freedom chair Rachel Oswald, who is also a reporter at CQ Roll Call in Washington, D.C. In this edition of Update-1, Oswald discusses the myriad challenges to a free press and related democratic institutions. In her conversation with Broadcast Podcast Committee co-vice chair Adam Konowe, Oswald also highlights potential legal challenges to the landmark case New York Times vs. Sullivan, especially in light of a more conservative Supreme Court and multiple lawsuits related to false claims of 2020 election voter fraud and other cases of disinformation.

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Lucian Kim has covered Russia and Eastern Europe since 1996 for the Christian Science Monitor and other publications. He recently moved to Washington after five years as Moscow correspondent for National Public Radio, receiving a fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Interviewed by longtime National Press Club member Irv Chapman, in this edition of Update-1 Kim traces how Vladimir Putin tightened the screws over time on Russia's news media as he faced critical coverage of popular discontent, notably over rigged elections a decade ago, and now has eliminated independent media entirely. And Kim says until last month, correspondents for foreign media could work freely, though sources dried up as Putin cracked down.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute benefits not only club members but journalists and non-journalists throughout the country. The institute offers a variety of programs that enhance journalists' ability to inform the public and the public's ability to better understand what constitutes quality journalism. In the latest edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast Committee co-vice chair Mike Hempen talks with JI President Gil Klein about the impact of the institute outside of Washington and his goals for this year. They also discuss the institute's board, its non-profit status and its 2022-2024 strategic plan.

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Highlighting press freedom, increasing media literacy and countering anti-democratic propaganda top the priorities list for Jen Judson, the 115th president of the National Press Club.

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Tens of thousands of Afghans have been flown to the United States since the U.S. pulled its last troops out of Afghanistan at the end of August. The co-founder and chair of the Peace Corps Alliance for Cultural Understanding thinks the use of Afghan advisory groups is essential for the well-being of Afghan refugees. In this edition of Update-1, Broadcast Podcast group member Lincoln Smith talks with Tony Agnello, the president of Friends of Afghanistan, a committee working with veterans’ organizations to ensure all eligible Afghans receive immigration clearance. Agnello, who previously served in Afghanistan while in the Peace Corps, discusses the Afghan refugee resettlement camps and why he thinks public-private partnerships and faith-based coalitions should be part of the process of relocating Afghans into American communities.

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