I
started listening to a podcast produced by WNYC and distributed by NPR called On the Media (OTM)
after hearing about it in class at the beginning of the semester. I listened to
three episodes and have been impressed by the nature and topics discussed in
the program. Indeed, on the "About" page of the website it states: "OTM tackles
sticky issues with a frankness and transparency that has built trust with
listeners and led to more than a tripling of its audience in five years". The topics discussed on the shows I
have listened to thus far are deep issues such as the nature of facts, bias in
the media (and particularly NPR), and the role of new technology in the life
and career of the average reporter. What OTM does is takes topics such as these
and examines them in a way that feels very accessible and open, as opposed to
using lofty language and high jargon chatting guests.
In
the most recent episode I listened to about facts and fact-checkers, Errol
Morris came on the program to talk about a book he wrote in hopes to influence
the state to consider the possibility that a current inmate is innocent in the
case of his murdered family. Though this was the first filmmaker to come on the
show since I started listening, I feel OTM has relevance to storytellers and
the general public in general because the show is concerned with the role of
the press and public storytellers of our society. Certainly these people, while
the may not seem all that important, have a very large impact on how we
understand the world we live in as well as our own identities.
While
not as fascinating as podcasts such as ThisAmerican Life or Radiolab, On The
Media is a great addition to my favorite NPR podcasts and will act as a
solid balance to all the attacks of the press I am exposed to on a consistent
basis. The only thing I would change on the show is the theme music, which has
a strange way of getting stuck in my head and making me feel slightly demented.
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