On the Media

With an aging listenership and the rise of podcasts, the future of NPR is thrown into question. Bob digs into the recent conversation about how the public broadcasting giant is reacting to changes in the industry, and what member stations want from the network. 

Then, a work of lewd satire has strained Germany's understanding of free speech -- and highlighted an uneasy relationship with Turkey. And, twenty-five years ago, the testimony of Anita Hill turned the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas into must-see TV. A new HBO movie, "Confirmation" portrays the history, and reopens old wounds. Plus: the curious world of the novelization industry.

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

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Last August, Flibanserin -- or "Addyi" -- became the first FDA-approved drug aimed at treating sexual dysfunction in women. Sprout, the company that developed the so-called “female Viagra” was understandably excited, and even more so the next day when they were bought by pharmaceutical giant Valeant, for one billion dollars. But after a rocky year, Valeant announced Monday that they had dismissed the entire sales force associated with Flibanserin and would reintroduce the drug later in the year. When Flibanserin first hit the shelves last year, we took a deep dive into its marketing message and the nebulous world of prescription drugs and female desire. 

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

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One week after the Panama Papers thrust the shadowy world of the ultra-rich into the spotlight, the massive trove of data is still being sifted as world leaders scramble to explain-away offshore accounts. How 400 journalists from 76 countries worked in secret for over a year to decipher the largest leak ever, and how we got here in the first place.

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

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The Panama Papers is by sheer volume of documents the largest whistle-blower leak in history. With over 100 news organizations from over 80 countries involved it is also the largest journalistic collaboration ever. And it has already claimed its first scalp.

On Tuesday, Iceland Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned over revelations of undisclosed investments in three of Iceland’s failed banks.

But the 11.5 million documents from the Panama law-firm Mossack Fonseca also expose shadowy dealings surrounding dictators and kleptocrats worldwide -- with 99% of the iceberg still submerged.

The material has been scrutinized by some 400 reporters for the past year, under the coordination of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Bob speaks with the consortium's director, Gerard Ryle, about how the global investigation came together.

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

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This week President Obama criticized journalistic irresponsibility in a speech, but critics note that he has consistently worked to block press access. We take a look at the plight of public information under an opaque administration. Plus, the ethics of reading the news; dissecting the notion of "momentum" in election seasons; seeking posthumous fame for a cult filmmaker; and a Ghanaian undercover journalist fights for justice using every tool, and disguise, at his disposal.

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

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How do our assumptions about people affect our assumptions about their food? And how do their assumptions about our food affect how we feel about ourselves?

What happens when chefs cook a cuisine they weren’t born into? And what happens when there’s a backlash?

Our friend Dan Pashman, host of WNYC Studio's The Sporkful, has launched a special series of episodes called "Other People's Food," which aims to explore exactly these questions. Dan talks with Brooke about the project so far. 

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

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European Union leaders declared this week’s attack in Brussels an act of war; one former ISIS hostage says those declarations play into the terrorist group’s game plan. We look at what’s behind an unprecedented crackdown on press freedom in Turkey, and examine the significance of President Obama's "other" Latin America trip-- to Argentina. Plus, a special On the Media guide to how not to cover Cuba.

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

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A jury in St. Petersburg, Florida, found that Gawker Media must pay $140 million in damages to the wrestler Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea). The case is about Gawker publishing an excerpt of a tape showing Hogan having sex with his friend's then-wife -- a tape Hogan claims he did not know his friend was filming. The case has raised concerns about First Amendment protections because Gawker is claiming the post was newsworthy and in the public interest -- and Hulk Hogan is claiming that Gawker caused him emotional distress by invading his privacy. 

Gawker Media's President and General Counsel, Heather Dietrick, talks to Bob about the company's plan to appeal the decision, why the jury awarded Hogan such a huge sum, and why the public's appetite for sex tapes has waned. 

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

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For the first months of the Trump campaign, the media wondered incredulously, "What kind of person thinks he can act like that and get elected?" Now that Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee, a new question has arisen: "What kind of people could support a person who acts like that?" 

We take a look at how the media have attempted to understand (and suppress) the mythical Trump supporter -- and how some of the more damning conclusions reflect a deep-seated discomfort with class in America. Plus, how a "broken" campaign finance system perpetually enriches the consultant class and how Trump 2016 is being received around the world.

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

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In 1993, the photojournalist Paul Watson took three photographs of Somali dragging the body of an American soldier through the streets of Mogadishu. As he took the shots, he thought he heard the soldier, William David Cleveland, whisper: "If you do this, I will own you forever." The moment and its aftermath is the subject of a play, "The Body of An American", on through March 20 at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Brooke speaks with the playwright, Dan O'Brien, and with Watson about the photographs, the play, and their friendship. 

Information about 'The Body of An American' is available through the Cherry Lane Theatre's website.

For more On the Media, follow us on Twitter @OnTheMedia, and subscribe to our newsletter on our website, www.onthemedia.org/newsletter.

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

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