On the Media

A farewell to coverage of Joe Biden's non-existent presidential campaign. Plus: clarifying the misleading language of drone warfare and what it says about policy; a new film examines Dan Rather's downfall at CBS; the Lockerbie bombing investigation gets leads from a documentary; and a story about the Benghazi attack that you didn't hear at the committee hearing this week. 

The new musical, Allegiance, starring George Takei is in previews now and will open on Broadway early next month. The show is set during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and is inspired by true life events in Takei's life. We thought we'd revisit a conversation Bob had last year with Takei, in which the two discuss Allegiance, Takei's activist work, and of course, Star Trek.  For more OTM follow us on Twitter, @OntheMedia, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.onthemedia.org. 

Playboy has announced it will soon stop publishing full nudes. We look at the history of men's magazines and what it means that sex doesn't sell in print for the magazine anymore. Plus: "who won the debate?"; Bernie Sanders versus the media; a new privacy win in Europe; and more. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMdebate, #OTMbernie, #OTMgallup, #OTMprivacy, #OTMplayboy

OTM digs into the Supreme Court, an institution as secretive as it is powerful -- and how we understand it through the media. Plus: how regular people become poster children for thorny legal issues, potential press influence on the court, and cameras in the courtroom: now set to music. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMSCOTUS

This week's show is all going to be all about the Supreme Court, and we were excited about a particular segment on transparency... until the Court made it totally obsolete on Monday.  In the spirit of transparency we're putting the segment down our podcast feed and explaining the story behind the story. First, Adam Liptak of The New York Times tells us about the justice's practice of editing their opinions after they've been handed down, and not telling anybody about the changes. Then, David Zvenyach tells us about the Twitterbot @SCOTUS_servo, which he created to make those edits public. And then, OTM producer Alana Casanova-Burgess explains how the Supreme Court changed their policy this week and made our segment useless. Progress!  Coming up on Friday's show: an hour on the Supreme Court. (Working Title: "Hot Bench")

Searching for answers after a tragedy like the shooting at Umpqua Community College can be difficult. But some laws have made searching for even the most basic answers - such as how many concealed weapons owners live in a state - just as difficult to find. In 2011, Michael Luo of The New York Times was writing a series of articles about gun laws across the country. He requested data from Oregon officials about the state's gun license holders, but when pro-gun rights groups learned he was trying to get the information they lobbied the state legislature to shield the data. Within months a new law had passed: all of the records, formerly in the public domain, were now private. Bob talks with Luo about why the data is important and why shielding it can making searching for answers after a tragedy so difficult. Bob also revisits his conversation with Tom Teves, whose son Alex was killed in the shooting rampage in Aurora, Colorado, about his efforts to keep the press from turning mass killers into media icons with his group, NoNotoriety. 

Over the last 2,500 years, cancer has shifted from a disease in the shadows to one at the center of scientific research and public discussion. On the Media dives deep into the way we talk about cancer: in the news, in the hospital, and in our private lives.

You've probably seen the declaration of privacy status making the rounds on Facebook. You may have even posted it yourself. Trouble is, the post doesn't actually do anything. It's a hoax, and an old one at that. So we thought we'd revisit a report from former OTM staffer Sarah Abdurrahman on the meme, and what it has to say about our privacy concerns online. If you like what we do, leave us a review on iTunes - they mean a lot to us! And don't forget to follow us on twitter @OntheMedia. 

With Pope Francis in the US this week, we examine why pundits try so hard to assess the pontiff’s remarks through the lens of 2016 politics. Plus: why the AP is scrapping the term “climate change denier” – and a new collection of fiction gives voices to figures sidelined by history.  Discuss on Twitter:  #OTMpope  #OTMclimate #OTMpolling  #OTMhoax  #OTMnarrative

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard that Pope Francis is in the U.S. this week. To celebrate His Holiness's arrival, we thought we'd give you a pope primer. Back in December of 2013, when Pope Francis first became a media darling, Brooke examined what makes his messaging so viral-friendly. If you like what we do, please rate us on iTunes! And as always, follow us on Twitter @onthemedia. 

This week’s GOP presidential debate was full of barbs, zingers, and over talk but was severely lacking in the fact-checking department. We consider the role of journalists when they play debate moderator. Plus, as the European refugee crisis continues, a debunking of the viral images that are channeling hatred and xenophobia. And, exposing Exxon's flip floppery on climate change. Discuss on Twitter: #OTMdebate #OTMexxon #OTMrefugees

On the language debate surrounding the Mediterranean crisis, debunking migration myths both foreign and domestic, and a visit to the 9/11 museum. 

The rhetoric of ads on the Iran nuclear agreement, the ongoing fall out of the Ashley Madison hack, and the end of an iconic Spanish language variety show.

For the last episode of our summer listening series, we present our first and only effort at full-fledged radio theatre: Pledge This!  To hear more of our summer listening, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review while you're there! And as always, follow us on twitter @OnTheMedia.

The push for a female libido pill reveals misunderstandings about female sexuality. Plus: Jorge Ramos' confrontation with the GOP front-runner; a guide to parsing stock market coverage; and an Instagram star is revealed as a joke-thief.