It USED to be that people paid attention to media less in the summertime, hence summer reruns on network TV. That world is gone, especially when huge events rock the world, as they did on successive weekends in July in the USA.

The media coverage of the Trump shooting and the Biden withdrawal is among the topics on the table for the latest edition of Signals & Noise, our media overview.

Erik Palmer from the Communication faculty at Southern Oregon University is back in his regular chair, joined this time by a guest, JX host Mike Green, working as a panelist on a usual off-day. We bounce the media events of the moment off the panel.

TOPICS: 1) Presidential campaign coverage 2) Olympics 3) Newspapers closures

PICK THREE/MIKE:

• Receiver on Netflix
• Simone Biles Rising on Netflix
• Bridgerton on Netflix

PICK THREE/ERIK:

• San Diego Comic-Con: ‘New mask, same task.’ Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers’ sequel. Washington Post, gift link: https://wapo.st/3YoqOyU
  
• #WrexCoast tour in Portland with Rob McElhenney & AFC Wrexham: https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/news/2024/july/27/report---wrexham-afc-women-vs-portland-thorns-academy-/
  
• Richard Avedon and his photograpy: Upper West Side Story: The Dazzling Rise of Richard Avedon; Review of What Becomes a Legend Most by Philip Gefter. New York Times, gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/books/review/what-becomes-a-legend-most-a-biography-of-richard-avedon-philip-gefter.html?unlocked_article_code=1._E0.MU2J.lTfSDfr_NEhB&smid=url-share
  
• PLUS: Turning the Lens Around on Richard Avedon; Review of Something Personal by Norma Stevens. New York Times, gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/books/review-richard-avedon-something-personal.html?unlocked_article_code=1._E0.z556._LyQ7z4gXkBl&smid=url-share

It wasn't THAT long ago that both Medford and Ashland had daily newspapers, delivered physically and available online. The Daily Tidings and Mail Tribune ended up owned by the same people, and those people got out of the business, with the Mail Tribune ceasing all operations with the January 13th issue online.

There should be little doubt about the first topic on this month's edition of Signals & Noise, our media overview. Our regulars return, Christopher Lucas of Southern Oregon University and Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein of Cal Poly-Humboldt.

We discuss the news business and the use of the CSPAN cameras in the U.S. House, and our panelists give their top three media choices for the month.

The Pick Three Lists for January:

JESSIE

• Humboldt Hot Air, the new local Internet radio station
• The GLAAD Media Award nominations for this year
• Sheng Wang's Netflix comedy special

CHRIS

• CNN's documentary on Dionne Warwick
• the after-the-apocalypse series "The Last of Us," on HBO
• Support your local theater, Chris says, and go see "When You Finish Saving the World"

The world is talking about Israel and the Palestinians nearly non-stop of late. Reporters are attempting to cover the situation without endangering their own lives, and there's been some ebb-and-flow in the coverage. The media end of things is where our Signals & Noise podcast lives.

Our regular panelists return, Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein from Cal Poly-Humboldt and Chris Lucas from Southern Oregon University. We resume our conversations about media coverage and fairness, and the major happenings in the media of late.

Both panelists submit a "Pick Three" of top media choices of the moment:

-Jessie-

1) News outlets with different perspectives - variety is important in the current media landscape

2) PolitiFact -- fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.

3) Love and Lemons Simple Feel Good Food by Jeanine Donofrio

-Chris-

1) Deadloch, a mystery/comedy on Prime Video

2) Alan Alda's Clear+Vivid podcast

3) The Pigeon Tunnel, about John le Carré, on Apple TV+

We're beginning to run out of shoes. Another shoe dropped in the media business of late, when Medford CBS affiliate KTVL stopped producing local newscasts, four months after the Mail Tribune newspaper went out of business (in the same building!).

That's just one media item up for discussion on this month's edition of our media overview, Signals & Noise. Our regulars return, Christopher Lucas of Southern Oregon University and Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein of Cal Poly-Humboldt.

We discuss the news business, covering a presidential candidate facing indictment and court verdicts, and our panelists give their top three media choices for the month.

"Pick Three" for May:

JESSIE

1. Kinetic Sculpture Race - live coverage memorial day weekend on 105.1 KRFH  http://www.krfh.net/
2. Whitney Cummings, comedian -- https://whitneycummings.com/specials/
3. Huberman Lab Podcast – Science & science-based tools for everyday life. Andrew Huberman – neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine https://hubermanlab.com/category/podcast-episodes/

CHRIS

1. Silo - https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice
   
2. SOU Student Film Festival - https://www.instagram.com/soustudentff/
   
3. Surgeon General report on Social Media and Youth Mental Health - https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems continued a very public court battle over the truth, and the big Oscars went to a film that nearly defies description. Seems like we can find a few things to talk about in our media overview, Signals & Noise.

Our regulars return, Christopher Lucas of Southern Oregon University and Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein of Cal Poly-Humboldt. We discuss the media happenings of recent weeks, and our panelists give their top three media choices for the month.

Panelist "Pick Three"

JESSIE:

1) GAMES to increase media literacy (and combat and measure misinformation, disinformation, & propaganda)
Bad News 
Go Viral
Breaking Harmony Square
Cat Park

2) WEBSITES for Fact-Checking
NPR FactCheck
Snopes
FactCheck.org
PolitiFact

3) PODCAST
Ear Hustle brings you the daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration.

CHRIS:

Ditto on the games,

I use the "bad news" game Jessie mentioned in my Media Literacy class!

EFF Surveillance Self-Defense https://ssd.eff.org/module/protecting-yourself-social-networks

Varsity documentary series (April 14-20) - https://www.catheatres.com/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=36#.ZCRu8OzML0o

I especially recommend The Tuba Thieves and Subject

It wasn't THAT long ago that both Medford and Ashland had daily newspapers, delivered physically and available online. The Daily Tidings and Mail Tribune ended up owned by the same people, and those people got out of the business, with the Mail Tribune ceasing all operations with the January 13th issue online.

There should be little doubt about the first topic on this month's edition of Signals & Noise, our media overview. Our regulars return, Christopher Lucas of Southern Oregon University and Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein of Cal Poly-Humboldt.

We discuss the news business and the use of the CSPAN cameras in the U.S. House, and our panelists give their top three media choices for the month.

The Pick Three Lists for January:

JESSIE

• Humboldt Hot Air, the new local Internet radio station
• The GLAAD Media Award nominations for this year
• Sheng Wang's Netflix comedy special

CHRIS

• CNN's documentary on Dionne Warwick
• the after-the-apocalypse series "The Last of Us," on HBO
• Support your local theater, Chris says, and go see "When You Finish Saving the World"