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A
Writer's Work
First-time
author and 19-year-old Harvard University sophomore Kaavya
Viswanathan's book has been pulled from shelves by its publisher, amid
a plagiarism scandal.
5/2/06
'United
93'
The first
in a series of films about the 9/11 terrorist attacks premiers with
the release of "United 93." Two
film experts discuss the movie and whether the American public is ready
to relive the attacks.
4/28/06
At
the Podium
President
Bush named conservative commentator and former speechwriter Tony
Snow to be his new press secretary.
4/26/06
Media
Muscle
The Spanish-language
media played a prominent role in the recent immigration protests. Jeffrey
Brown discusses the growing clout of the Latino media with two guests.
4/11/06
Couric
Heads to CBS
NBC's
Katie Couric marked her 15th anniversary as co-host of the "Today"
show by acknowledging she will be leaving to take the helm of CBS's
"Evening News".
4/5/06
Set
Free
American
reporter Jill Carroll was released Thursday after nearly three months
in captivity in Iraq.
3/30/06
'Death
Is on Hold'
Eighty-year-old
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Art Buchwald recently made public
his decision to forego dialysis that could possibly prolong his life,
at what he considers too burdensome a cost. 3/28/06
FCC Slaps Record
Fines on CBS
In a government crackdown on indecency, the FCC has fined
dozens of CBS stations over $3.6 million dollars for an episode of ''Without
a Trace.''
3/16/06
A Newspaper Deal
McClatchy
Co. agreed to buy Knight-Ridder Inc., the second largest U.S. newspaper
publisher, for about $4.5 billion in cash and stock.
3/13/06
A
Look into the Past
The Birmingham News in Alabama recently published for the first
time a set of powerful
protest and demonstration photos taken during the civil rights era.
3/2/06
Controversial
Cartoons
U.S. news organizations are split over whether to publish cartoons
depicting the Prophet Muhammad that sparked protests across the Muslim
world.
2/9/06
Covering
Pakistan
The NewsHour recently aired a report by Dan Rivers of Independent
Television News on earthquake survivors in a Pakistani village. Rivers
talks about the process of putting together his report and the outpouring
of viewer mail it generated.
2/3/06
In
the Line of Fire
ABC News anchor
Bob Woodruff was hospitalized in Germany Monday after his convoy
hit a roadside bomb in Iraq. Cameraman Doug Vogt also was injured.
1/30/06
Oprah's
Offensive
Embarrassed by her defense of James Frey, who made up parts
of his best selling memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," Oprah
Winfrey openly
lectured the author for lying to her and the general public.
1/27/06
Google
in China
Google has agreed to censor its search engine in China. In return
for blocking politically sensitive terms, Google
gains access to the world's No. 2 Internet market.
1/25/06
Online
Offline
The Washington
Post's Web site recently shut down the viewer comments section of
one of its weblogs after an article by the Post's ombudsman caused a
flood of complaints.
1/24/06
Google's
Privacy Fight
Two guests discuss Google's
fight against a government subpoena requesting access to the search
records of millions of people.
1/20/06
Missing
on Assignment
The abduction
of American reporter Jill Carroll has highlighted the dangerous
conditions for journalists in Iraq and how that impacts the news received
at home.
1/18/06
Telling
Stories
Accusations
that author James Frey fabricated part of his memoir, "A Million
Little Pieces" have raised questions over the burden of truth in the
book publishing world.
1/13/06
Media
Watch
Two recent news stories -- one dealing with the trapped
miners in West Virginia and another on the domestic spying program
-- have raised questions about how the media operate.
1/6/06
Video
on Demand
Jeffrey Brown reports on video-on-demand
technology and how television content can now be watched on a variety
of devices, from iPods to cellular phones to computers. 12/29/05
Reporting
National Security Secrets
President Bush has criticized The New York Times for publishing
stories about domestic monitoring. Jeffrey
Brown leads a debate with Scott Armstrong, executive director of Information
Trust and James Woolsey, former CIA director. 12/26/05
The
Public's Editor
Jeffrey Brown speaks with PBS ombudsman Michael Getler about
his latest reports, including
on the news magazine NOW and an American Experience program on Las Vegas.12/23/05
Journalism
Hot Spots
Some journalists face dangers when reporting in their home countries,
including threats from their own governments. The
Media Unit profiles two journalists who were honored by the Committee
to Protect Journalists. 12/21/05
The
Revolution Will Be Googled
The
search engine that powers the Internet is now worth more than the
Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Disney, Amazon.com,
General Motors and Ford combined. 11/30/05
Christian
News
Christian-format
radio and television, including news programs, have grown rapidly over
the past few years, causing some to worry that listeners are getting
news with a viewpoint. 11/23/05
Wireless
City
Philadelphia is moving toward becoming the first U.S. city of
its size to extend wireless
broadband access to all its citizens, regardless of income, at below-market
prices. 11/22/05
Covering the
Washington Beat
Washington
Post reporter Bob Woodward revealed Monday that he learned the identity
of CIA operative Valerie Plame nearly a month before her identity was
disclosed in 2003. 11/17/05
The Rise of Citizen
Journalism
The Internet
has spawned a new wave of journalists created not by traditional newsrooms,
but fueled by citizen participation and interactive technologies. Special
correspondent Terence Smith reports. 11/16/05
Former CPB Chairman
Draws Fire
An internal
review by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting found that former
chairman Kenneth Tomlinson used "political tests" to recruit a new
board president and was inappropriately involved in the creation of
a program on PBS. 11/15/05
Document:
The Inspector General's report in PDF
(1 Mb)
CIA
Leak Case Highlights Shield Law
The recent
CIA leak case raises questions about whether
a law should exist to shield journalists from revealing sources.
11/2/05
Trouble
at the New York Times
A
Media Unit update tracks the recent controversy at The New York Times
over Judith Miller, a Times reporter involved in the CIA leak case
and the author of articles containing erroneous information about weapons
of mass destruction. 10/24/05
Miller
and the New York Times
Two weeks
after Judith Miller ended her more than 80 days in jail and testified
before a grand jury investigating the leak into the name of a covert
CIA operative, the
New York Times Sunday printed a 5,500-word story detailing their reporter's
involvement in the case. 10/17/05
A
New Take on Murrow v. McCarthy
Jeffrey Brown
talks with actor and director George Clooney about his new
movie that captures the story of journalist Edward R. Murrow. 10/6/05
Jailed
Journalist Testifies
New York
Times reporter Judith Miller testified in front of a grand jury on the
leak of a CIA operative's name. Following
a background report, Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig talks about
Miller's testimony. 9/30/05
Conversation:
'Night Draws Near'
Anthony Shadid,
Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post and Pulitzer Prize
winner, talks about his book "Night
Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War" and the challenges
of reporting in Iraq. 9/30/05
Coverage
of Katrina Faces New Scrutiny
Following
the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, the
nation's media descended on the flooded and chaotic scene along the
Gulf Coast, reporting on suspected anarchy and rapes in New Orleans
and taking a hostile skepticism into interviews with government officials.
9/29/05
Conversation:
Victor Navasky
Victor Navasky,
editor of The Nation, discusses
his new book, "A Matter of Opinion" and the role of opinion journals
in the media. 8/17/05
Publishing
Pioneer
The NewsHour
remembers publishing tycoon John
Johnson, founder of Ebony and Jet magazines, who died of congestive
heart failure in Chicago at 87 years old. 8/9/05
Remembering
Peter Jennings
Jim
Lehrer talks to former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw about his friend and
former rival, ABC anchor and senior editor Peter Jennings, who died
of lung cancer in his New York home on Sunday. 8/8/05
The Kremlin
and ABC
The Russian
government has threatened to deny visas and press credentials to any
reporter working for the ABC News after
the American television network broadcast an interview with a Chechan
militant leader.
8/5/05
Conversation:
Oral Histories
Authors Studs
Terkel and Alex Kotlowitz discuss
their work capturing the oral histories of average men and women
in Chicago. 8/3/05
Terror Online
The recent
bombing attacks in London and the continuing use of Internet sites by
insurgents in Iraq are two examples of what many say is a growing trend
of terrorists using
the Internet and other digital technology to recruit new members, broadcast
their messages and even run operations. 8/2/05
Pay-to-Play
New York
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Monday that Sony BMG Music
Entertainment will pay $10 million in fines in a radio payola case.
Ray
Suarez discusses the use of bribes in the radio industry with a media
professor. 7/26/05
Media Relations
The White
House press corps applied pressure this week on administration mouthpiece
Scott McClellan to explain prior assertions that presidential adviser
Karl Rove had no involvement in the CIA leak case. Terence Smith examines
the
relationship between the media and the Bush White House. 7/13/05
Public Broadcasting
Funding
A Senate
subcommittee held hearings Monday on the future of funding
for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and alleged biases in PBS
programming. 7/11/05
Protecting
Anonymous Sources
A federal
judge sentenced New York Times reporter Judith Miller to jail Wednesday
for refusing to divulge her source to a grand jury investigating the
administration's leak of a CIA operative's identity. Two
media experts analyze the sentencing and what it could mean for journalists
and their anonymous sources. 7/6/05
Online
Report: Testing
Press Privilege in the CIA Leak Case
Journalists
and the Law
Two journalists
are facing jail time and four more could be held in contempt of court
for refusing to reveal anonymous sources in grand jury testimony. Experts
discuss the cases and the effect it may have on reporter-source confidentiality.
6/29/05
Online
Report: Testing
Press Privilege in the CIA Leak Case
Under Pressure
PBS supporters
and members of Congress came out to Capitol Hill Tuesday to protest
proposed cuts in federal funding for public broadcasting, even as some
continue to criticize the network as too liberal. 6/21/05
'Writing'
Wrongs
Daniel Okrent,
former ombudsman of The New York Times and Michael Getler, ombudsman
of The Washington Post, discuss the
public’s perception of the media and the controversial issues that
their papers have confronted. 6/8/05
Online
Special Report: Credibility
in Question
Essay: Who's
a Journalist?
Essayist Clarence
Page of the Chicago Tribune considers who
is and who is not a journalist. 6/7/05
Online
Special Report: Credibility
in Question
News on Demand
News organizations
are rolling out new
media technologies that allow people to get their news in different
ways and decide how, when and where they want to receive it.
6/6/05
Extended
Interviews:
Brian
Gilmore of the News Journal; Backfence.com
founders; and Kinsley
Wilson of USATODAY.com
Ben Bradlee
Reflects on Watergate
Former executive
editor of The Washington Post Ben
Bradlee discusses the paper's decision to confirm Deep Throat's identity,
the confidentiality agreement with Felt and Felt's decision to speak
with Woodward and Bernstein. 6/2/05
Deep Throat
Reflections
In the wake
of W. Mark Felt's admission that he was the source for much of the Watergate
information, analysts
debate how knowing the source's identity will impact how we remember
Watergate. 6/1/05
Deep Throat
Revealed
The Washington
Post on Tuesday confirmed that former FBI official W.
Mark Felt is Deep Throat, the famous anonymous source who leaked secrets
about President Nixon's Watergate cover-up to the Post and helped
bring down the Nixon presidency in 1974.
Jeffrey Brown speaks with John D. O'Connor, author of the Vanity Fair
article, and Michael Putzel, former Associated Press Watergate correspondent,
and David Gergen, a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government,
about what is now known about Deep Throat's once mysterious identity.
5/31/05
Newsweek
Under Fire
Jeffrey Brown
speaks with Newsweek
editor Mark Whitaker about the magazine's decision to retract the flawed
Quran report. Brown then speaks with two experts about the news
media's use of anonymous sources. 5/16/05
Government
"News"
A Senate
panel on Thursday held a hearing to consider whether aspects of government-sponsored
video news releases should be strictly regulated. Jeffrey Brown examines
the
debate over the ethics and legality of the government's pre-packaged
"news." 5/13/05
World Press
Photos
The World
Press Photo's exhibition of the best photojournalism of 2004 is now
open at the U.N. headquarters in New York and will travel to 85 cities
around the world in the coming year. Media correspondent Jeffrey Brown
speaks with the organization's
managing director about the selection process of the best photographs
of 2004. 5/4/05
Free Press
There is
a new kind of newspaper war under way -- freely
distributed newspapers or "freebies” are popping up in cities across
the country. 5/2/05
Extended Interviews:
Dan
Caccavaro of Express
Karen
DeWitt of the Examiner
Len
Downie Jr. of The Washington Post
John
Wilpers of the Examiner
Frozen in
Time 4/28/05
In an encore
presentation, Terence
Smith visits the
Bettmann Archive, one of the world's most renowned private collections
of historical photographic and graphic images.
Space-Age
Radio 3/30/05
Terence Smith
takes a closer look at the
satellite radio industry and how the two-way competition between
XM Radio and Sirius is affecting traditional broadcast radio.
Online Report: Revolutions in Radio
Downloading
Debate 3/29/05
The Supreme
Court on Tuesday heard arguments in the
entertainment industry's case against two Internet file-sharing services,
a dispute that could decide whether file-sharing services are liable
when their customers use their programs to download copyrighted music
and songs.
Online
Report: Copyrighting
in the Digital Age
The Schiavo
Case 3/24/05
The Supreme
Court on Thursday refused an emergency appeal to reinsert Terri Schiavo's
feeding tube. Terence Smith joins Jim Lehrer to discuss the
media coverage and public interest in the case of the severely brain-damaged
Florida woman.
Editorial
Perspectives: Social Security 3/23/05
As President
Bush continues a nationwide campaign to sell his proposals to strengthen
the Social Security system, Terence Smith and four
editorial page editors assess how Americans are responding to the president's
initiatives. Online Report: Social
Security Reform
Marketing
America 3/16/05
President
Bush this week nominated Karen
Hughes, one of his closest and most trusted advisers, as undersecretary
of state for public diplomacy. Terence Smith and guests discuss
her nomination and the progress of the U.S. public diplomacy campaign.
Related Online Reports: Public
Diplomacy: Rebranding America (1/21/03); Public
Diplomacy: U.S. Outreach to the Arab World (2/18/02)
Troubled
Kingdom 3/14/05
The Walt
Disney Co. named President Robert Iger as its new chief executive officer,
succeeding current CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner steps down one year earlier
than expected, bringing to an end his tumultuous, 21 year-tenure as
Disney's chief.
Terence Smith discusses the announcement and the future of Disney with
NPR reporter Kim Masters, author of "The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise
of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else."
Download
Debate 3/7/05
Later this
month, the
Supreme Court will hear a much anticipated copyright case, MGM vs. Grokster,
which pits the entertainment industry against the makers of software
that allows people to exchange music and movies. Terence Smith provides
a report.
Online Special Report: Copyrighting
in the Digital Age
Selling Social
Security 3/4/05
President
Bush jump-started his "60 stops in 60 days" Social Security reform campaign
Friday in New Jersey and Indiana. Terence Smith reports on how the
Bush administration is trying to sell its Social Security plan.
Online Special Report: Social
Security Reform
Powell Unplugged
3/3/05
Michael
Powell ends his chairmanship of the Federal Communications Commission
this month after four volatile years that included record fines for
broadcast indecency and pushing for greater deregulation of media ownership
rules.
Online Special Report: Merging
Media
Media Watch
2/24/05
Terence Smith
discusses recent controversies, including the
contempt citations for two journalists in the CIA leak investigation
and the latest on James Guckert/Jeff Gannon, the former White House
reporter for Talon News and GOPUSA.
Online Special Report: Press
Privilege in the CIA Leak Case
Embattled
PBS 2/18/05
PBS
finds itself in the midst of two controversies -- one involving
a children's cartoon and sexuality; the second regarding strong language
in a new Frontline documentary about soldiers in Iraq.
The Impact
of Bloggers on Journalism 2/14/05
Late Friday
night, conservative Web loggers, or bloggers, helped force the resignation
of top CNN news executive Eason Jordan over remarks he made at the World
Economic Conference in Davos. This, and other recent developments, have
experts questioning
the impact of Internet bloggers on mainstream journalism.
Online
Special Report: Credibility
in Question
Picturing
Iraq 2/9/05
Terence Smith
speaks with two prize-winning photographers about their
experiences as female photojournalists covering the conflict in Iraq.
Patriotic
Spectacle 2/7/05
The New England
Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years Sunday. Terence Smith
speaks with author
and sportswriter John Feinstein about the American tradition that is
the Super Bowl.
Neglected
News 2/4/05
Terence Smith
speaks with Nicolas de Torrente, executive director of Doctors Without
Borders in the United States, about the
most underreported stories of 2004 and why he believes the press
did not give substantial attention to these international crises.
Paying for
Plugs 1/27/05
Gwen Ifill
speaks with columnists and a media expert about the recent cases in
which writers
received federal funding for work related to the promotion of Bush administration
proposals.
Online Forum: Media
Ethics
Online
Special Report: Credibility
in Question
Presidents
in Focus 1/21/05
Terence Smith
speaks with historian Michael Beschloss about a new National
Archives exhibit of rarely seen presidential photographs. Online
Slideshow: Presidential Photos
Setting the
Tone 1/18/05
Terence Smith
looks at how U.S. presidents have used
the coverage of their inaugurations to help set the tone and style
of their administrations. Online Report: Inauguration
2005
Credibility
Gap 1/13/05
Terence Smith
leads a discussion on how numerous media scandals and lapses in journalistic
judgment impact the
public's perception of the news media.
Online Forum: Media
Ethics
Online
Special Report: Credibility
in Question
CBS'
Black Eye 1/10/05
Terence
Smith discusses what
went wrong in the 60 Minutes report with the authors of the review, Louis
Boccardi and Richard Thornburgh, and then speaks with Linda Mason, CBS' newly
appointed senior vice president of standards and special projects, about what
changes the network will make. Talking
Libel 12/16/04
Terence
Smith leads a debate about a
Massachusetts' judge defamation and libel lawsuit against the Boston Herald
and its broader implications for reporters appearing on television. Street
News 12/15/04
Across
the country, homeless people are working for newspapers that deliver news about
life on the street. Terence Smith looks at the
challenges behind the Washington, D.C. paper, Street Sense. Reporter's
Privilege 12/8/04
New
York Times reporter Judith Miller and Time magazine's Matthew Cooper appeared
in a U.S. appeals court to
challenge contempt of court convictions that could send them to jail for up to
18 months.
Online Report: Testing
Press Privilege in the CIA Leak Case Anchor
Changes 11/23/04
Terence
Smith discusses the departures
of CBS News' Dan Rather and NBC News' Tom Brokaw and the future of nightly
newscasts with Ken Auletta, who covers the media industry for the New Yorker magazine. Cabinet
Resignations 11/15/04
Terence
Smith speaks with two White House correspondents about the
wave of Cabinet resignations to hit the Bush administration and its ramifications
for the president's second term. What
Went Wrong? 11/5/04
Warren
Mitofsky, co-director of the National Election Pool, discusses why the
exit polls in the presidential election were so misleading. Online
Report: Covering
the Campaign Calling
the Race 11/1/04
Terence
Smith and news executives discuss the
reporting difficulties of the 2000 presidential election and how election
night coverage will be different this year. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign
Ad Wars in
Battleground States 10/28/04
With less than a week until Election Day, dueling political advertisements are
flooding the airwaves in key battleground states. Two
experts discuss the ongoing ad war.
Online
Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch
Online Forum: Political
Advertising Fact
Checking 10/21/04
News outlets are conducting their own analysis to verify the accuracy of politicians'
statements. Terence Smith examines the
benefits and risks of fact-checking for the news consumer. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign
Embattled
Beat 10/13/04
Reporters discuss the increasing challenges in covering the
news in Iraq as violence continues in the embattled country. Online
Report: The
Media and Postwar Iraq
News or Views?
10/12/04
Terence Smith leads a debate over Sinclair
Broadcast Group's decision to preempt regular programming to air a documentary
critical of Senator Kerry days before Election Day. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign
Blurring the
Lines 10/7/04
Terence Smith examines the
melding of politics and entertainment in this election season and its consequences.
Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign
Indecent Exposure
9/23/04
Terence Smith leads a debate over whether the
government should enact tougher laws against over-the-air programming deemed indecent.
Air
Wars 9/22/04
With nearly six weeks until Election Day, Sen. John Kerry and President Bush have
waged the most expensive advertising war in presidential campaign history. Terence
Smith examines the
overall themes of the candidates' advertisements and their respective media strategies.
9/22/04
Online Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch
Online Forum: Political
Advertising CBS
Admits it Erred in Report
9/20/04
CBS News on Monday said that the
network was misled over the origin and authenticity of documents and expressed
deep regret for using the documents in the 60 Minutes report. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign CBS
Questions Memos' Authenticity
9/16/04
CBS News anchor Dan Rather acknowledged Wednesday night the controversial memos
used in a 60 Minutes report questioning President Bush's National Guard record
may be suspect. Terence
Smith speaks with Ken Auletta, media columnist for the New Yorker, and Susan Tifft,
a professor of journalism and public policy at Duke University, about the network's
handling of the controversy. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign Fact
Check: Campaign Speeches
9/15/04
Brooks Jackson, director of FactCheck.org, evaluates the accuracy of the
claims made in several of President Bush's and Sen. John Kerry's campaign speeches.
Online
Report:
Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign Parsing
the Polls 9/10/04
Two recent polls showed President Bush with a double-digit lead over Sen. John
Kerry, D-Mass., while others had the two contenders in a statistical dead heat.
A
columnist and pollster discuss how voters should view the divergent surveys.
William F.
Buckley, Jr. 9/8/04
At the age of 78, William
F. Buckley Jr. has recently stepped down from his role as editor of the National
Review, the conservative magazine he founded nearly a half-century ago. Extended
Interview: Wiliam
F. Buckley The
President: By the Numbers
9/2/04
RealAudio:
On the final night of the GOP convention, Terence Smith speaks with Andrew Kohut,
president of the Pew Research Center, about the latest polls on the public's image
of President Bush and why the president's ratings have shown some improvement
over the last few weeks. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign The
Running Mate 9/1/04
Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, examines what recent
polls indicate about Dick Cheney's favorability rating among all voters, and
from whom the vice president enjoys his strongest support. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign Public
Opinion of the Economy
8/31/04
A recent poll from the Pew Research Center indicates that voters are largely dissatisfied
with economic conditions, despite new figures showing improved growth. Terence
Smith examines the political implications of the study and how
public perception of President Bush's handling of the economy could affect
the results of the 2004 election. Republican
Profile: The Delegates
8/30/04
RealAudio:
Who are the Republicans? What are the attitudes and demographics of both the delegates
inside Madison Square Garden this week and Republicans nationwide? Terence Smith
talks with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, about the current
and historical polling data providing a comprehensive picture of the Republican
party. Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign Crashing
the Party 8/27/04
Terence Smith looks at the
influential role of 527s in this year's presidential campaign and why these
groups are able to circumvent FEC oversight and the 2002 campaign finance law.
Online
Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch
Hindsight
8/18/04
Terence Smith examines the
media's performance in covering the run up to the Iraq war and why news organizations
are beginning to publicly question their own reporting. Online
Report: Investigating
Prewar Intelligence: Media Coverage Protecting
Sources 8/11/04
A federal judge held Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper in contempt of court
on Monday for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating whether White
House sources illegally revealed the identity of clandestine CIA officer Valerie
Plame to certain journalists. Terence Smith discusses the
merits of a prosecutor's right to subpoena reporters in criminal grand jury investigations
and a journalist's privilege to protect the identities of confidential sources
with former U.S. attorney Joseph DiGenova and First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams,
counsel for Cooper and Time magazine. News
Divisions 8/3/04
A recent Pew Center poll of Americans' news habits shows the stark electoral split
in the country has filtered into how
news consumers choose certain news sources over others.
Online
Report: Vote
2004: Covering the Campaign
By the Numbers
7/29/04
Thursday’s nomination acceptance speech is the most anticipated element of the
convention and arguably the most important speech of Sen. John Kerry’s political
career. Terence Smith speaks with Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center
for the People and the Press, about what
issues polls show undecided voters would like Kerry to address.
Online Report: Democratic
National Convention Delegates'
Profile 7/26/04
Terence Smith profiles the Democratic delegates with Andrew Kohut, director of
the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, which recently conducted
a
comprehensive survey of the convention delegates.
Online Report: Democratic
National Convention Campaign
Ad Wars 7/19/04
Voters in key battleground states have been inundated by campaign ads, according
to a new study from the Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin
in Madison. Terence Smith speaks with Ken Goldstein, director of the University
of Wisconsin Advertising Project, about what
the data suggests about the Kerry and Bush campaigns' media strategies.
Online Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch Public
Perception 7/16/04
How does the public shape its opinions of the presidential candidates? Tom Rosenstiel,
director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, discusses the
dominant images of the candidates at this point in the campaign.
Online Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch The
Plame Game 7/8/04
First Amendment attorneys went to court to ask a judge to quash the subpoenas
served to journalists who allegedly received a leak
from White House officials about the identity of a clandestine CIA agent.
Reel Politics
6/25/04
The Michael Moore film "Fahrenheit 9/11" opened today to heated debate about its
tactics and tone. Critics discuss the
feverish reception to the politically charged film. A
Traveler's Guide 6/23/04
Jim Carrier, an award-winning journalist and author, discusses his book, "A
Traveler's Guide to the Civil Rights Movement," with Terence Smith.
Political Air Wars
6/22/04
Terence Smith speaks with Brooks Jackson of FactCheck.org about the latest
non-candidate ads from independent advocacy groups, known as 527s, and other political
organizations.
Online Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch History
Preserved 6/10/04
Terence
Smith visits the Bettmann Archive, one of the world's most renowned private
collections of historical photographic and graphic images, and explores the arduous
process of preserving delicate historic images. Campaign
Ad Wars 6/2/04
Terence Smith speaks with Brooks Jackson, director of FactCheck.org of the Annenberg
Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, about the
ads and the veracity of claims from the Bush and Kerry campaigns.
Online Report: Vote
2004: Ad Watch Flawed
Reporting 5/26/04
The New York Times on Wednesday published a critique of its
reporting on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, and the editorial
board admitted its coverage relied too heavily on suspect intelligence sources.
Susan Moeller, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, and Tom Rosenstiel,
director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, which, like the NewsHour's
Media Unit, is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, discuss the Times' self-assessment.
Producer's
View 5/25/04
Don Hewitt, the founder and executive producer of 60 Minutes, is stepping down
after 36 years of heading the longest-running primetime news television show and
most successful TV newsmagazine of all time. Hewitt
speaks with Terence Smith about how the news business has changed during his tenure
at the TV news magazine.
Extended Interview: Don
Hewitt
Online
Report: The
Big Three News Magazines New
Details 5/21/04
New images and sworn statements came to light Friday in the Iraqi prisoner abuse
scandal. Terence Smith talks to The
Washington Post's Leonard Downie about the new evidence of abuse and the paper's
decision to publish the photos.Online
Report: The
Media and Postwar Iraq Neglected
Stories 5/14/04
The United Nations recently released a list of the top ten news stories that need
more regular attention are rarely reported. Terence Smith reviews the
list with Shashi Tharoor, the U.N. undersecretary general for communications and
public information. Casualties
of War 4/30/04
On ABC's Nightline, Ted Koppel read the names of all of the U.S. troops who have
died in Iraq, but viewers of seven ABC stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting
will not able to see it. Terence Smith explores Sinclair's
decision not to air the broadcast, which its executives say is politically motivated.
Photo Dispute 4/23/04
The Pentagon's ban on media coverage of the return of fallen service members was
broken twice this week, reviving the
debate over the Pentagon's prohibition on photos of the repatriation of the war
dead. Dangerous
Assignment 4/22/04
Terence Smith discusses the
hazardous reporting conditions in Iraq with John Burns, chief foreign correspondent
and Baghdad bureau chief of The New York Times, and Eason Jordan, executive vice
president and chief news executive for CNN. Plan
of Attack 4/21/04
Washington Post reporter Bob
Woodward discusses his new book, "Plan of Attack," and his unprecedented access
to President Bush and senior officials in the famously tight-lipped administration.
Breach of
Trust 4/21/04
The editor of USA Today,
the nation's largest-circulation newspaper, retired Tuesday in the wake of
a scandal involving the paper's former star foreign correspondent, Jack Kelley.
Editorial Reaction
4/15/04
Editorial page editors discuss
the Pentagon's decision to extend the tours of duty for some 21,000 troops
to help deal with the rising anti-occupation violence in Iraq and other developments
in the country. Online
Report: The
New Iraq A
New Voice: Al Hurra 4/15/04
To counter what U.S. officials consider as an anti-American slant in some Arab
media, the
government has launched Al Hurra, a new satellite television channel broadcast
to the Arab and Muslim world. Online
Report: The
Media and Postwar Iraq Hidden
Truth 4/2/04
The Toledo Blade published
a series of reports last October that detailed the largest case of alleged war
crimes committed by an American unit, known as the Tiger Force, during the
Vietnam War. Terence Smith examines why the media largely overlooked the Blade's
explosive findings. In
Memoriam: Alistair Cooke 3/30/04
Alistair Cooke, a broadcasting legend on both shores of the Atlantic, died at
the age of 95 in New York City. Cooke reported his radio program Letter from America
each week for 58 years on the BBC, and American audiences knew Cooke as the host
of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. Terence
Smith looks back at Cooke's life and legendary career. Fallout
From Clarke 3/29/04
Editorial page editors discuss the
public's reaction to former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke's
criticisms against the Bush administration's anti-terror policy and its war
against Iraq. Breach
of Trust 3/22/04
USA Today reported Friday that its former foreign correspondent Jack Kelley likely
fabricated substantial portions of at least eight stories. Terence
Smith looks at how newsrooms are responding to cases of journalistic misconduct.
Troubled
Kingdom 3/3/04
Walt Disney Company shareholders cast the future of longtime Chief Executive Michael
Eisner into doubt when more than 40 percent declined to support his reelection
to the company's board. Terence
Smith takes a look behind the scenes of Disney's boardroom battle with media analyst
Tom Wolzien. Under
the Radar 3/2/04
While the national media have concentrated on the Democratic presidential candidates,
the Bush campaign has been
quietly working on building a sophisticated database of supporters to assist
the campaign in finely targeting issue-based appeals.
SPECIAL REPORT: Vote
2004, Media Analysis & Ad Watch Campaign
Cyber Ads 2/20/04
Terence Smith discusses the
strategy of Web-based political ads and the unique advantages of the Internet
for campaign communications with Jonah Seiger, an Internet communications strategist
and visiting fellow at George Washington University, and Ken Goldstein, a political
science professor at the University of Wisconsin who also works with the Wisconsin
Advertising Project. SPECIAL
REPORT: Vote
2004, Media Analysis & Ad Watch Comcast
Makes Unsolicited Bid For Disney 2/12/04
Jim Lehrer and media
experts discuss the
implications of a potential Comcast-Disney union and whether the federal government
should try to intercept a merger between cable operators and content providers.
SPECIAL REPORT:
Merging Media
Indecency on Air
2/11/04
In the wake of the now-infamous
Super Bowl halftime show, the head of the Federal Communication Commission testified
before Congress about how to tackle
public indecency on broadcast television. Point,
Click, Vote 2/6/04
Democratic voters
in Michigan will participate in the largest and most ambitious Internet voting
experiment in the United States to date. Terence Smith looks at the
debate over Michigan's online voting system. SPECIAL
REPORT: Vote
2004: Media Analysis & Ad Watch The
Rose Man of Sing Sing 2/4/04
Historian James
McGrath Morris discusses his new book, “The Rose Man of Sing Sing," a chronicle
of the life and times of early
20th century newspaper editor Charles Chapin, a founding father of the 24-hour
news cycle. Going
Wholesale 2/3/04
With voters in
seven states heading to the polls and caucuses on the same date, many Democratic
presidential candidates chose to leave quaint campaign practices behind in Iowa
and New Hampshire and take to the airwaves. Terence
Smith examines the candidates' latest campaign television commercials. ONLINE
SPECIAL REPORT: Vote
2004: Media Analysis & Ad Watch The
Hutton Report 1/28/04
British
judge Brian Hutton issued his long-awaited report on the death of David Kelly,
an expert on Iraqi weapons. Terence Smith examines the
impact of the Hutton report on the British Broadcasting Corporation and Prime
Minister Tony Blair. Candid
Coverage 1/16/04
Terence
Smith goes to Iowa for a closer look at the
new methods used by broadcasters to cover the 2004 presidential campaigns,
and how it is affecting the ways in which the candidates campaign. ONLINE
SPECIAL REPORT: Vote
2004 You've
Got E-Mail 12/24/03
E-mail, now used by some 90
million Americans on a daily basis, is changing the way people communicate and
interact with one another. In
an encore presentation, Terence
Smith reports on e-mail and
its effect on American culture. On
the Streets 12/15/03
Terence Smith speaks with Time
magazine correspondent Brian Bennett in Baghdad about Iraqis' reaction to
the capture of Saddam Hussein. ONLINE
SPECIAL: Media
Coverage of Iraq Central
Casting 12/11/03
A look at a new
and controversial approach to delivering local news developed by the Sinclair
Broadcast Group, the nation's largest operator of independent television stations
-- and whether it's the wave of the future. ONLINE
SPECIAL: Merging
Media Gay
Marriage? 12/4/03
Massachusetts' highest court
last month ruled that a state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional,
elevating the debate over gay marriage to the national stage -- just in time for
the 2004 election. Editorial
page editors offer diverse opinions on the issue. Gays
in TV 11/19/03
Terence Smith examines the
proliferation -- and popularity -- of gay and lesbian-oriented television shows,
and what this new trend
in American television suggests about public attitudes toward homosexuality.
Tabloid Backlash?
11/14/03
In light of the current rape
trial of basketball star Kobe Bryant, Terence Smith examines the
ubiquity of tabloid-style journalism and its impact on mainstream coverage.
CBS Pulls
Miniseries 11/4/03
After weeks of rumors that
the upcoming CBS miniseries presents an unflattering portrait of former President
Reagan and his wife Nancy, the
network announced that it will not air the broadcast. Deadlines
Past 10/29/03
Walter Mears, a former Associated
Press reporter, discusses his career covering 11 presidential campaigns, and how
political journalism and the
news business has changed over the last 40 years. Digital
News 10/24/03
Terence Smith examines the
growing trend of electronic newsprint editions, and how newspaper publishers
are working to keep pace with changing technologies. Poll
Mania 10/15/03
Terence Smith looks at the
increasing prevalence of polling in contemporary journalism, and whether surveys
excessively shape the news and public opinion themselves. The
Right Talk 10/13/03
Terence Smith explores
the success of conservative talk radio shows and the failure of liberal programs,
and talk radio's increasing
importance in politics. ONLINE
SPECIAL: The
Right Talk Merger:
NBC Vivendi 10/8/03
General Electric Company
and Paris-based Vivendi Universal announced today that they had reached a
final agreement to merge the French company’s U.S. entertainment assets with GE’s
television network NBC.
ONLINE
SPECIAL: Merging
Media Naked
in Baghdad 10/7/03
NPR
correspondent Anne Garrels shares her unique experiences as one of the few
non-embedded journalists who stayed in Baghdad during the Iraq war, and other
stories from her recently published memoir, Naked in Baghdad.
ONLINE
SPECIAL: Media
Coverage of the Iraq War Recall
Revelations 10/3/03
Two California columnists
examine how the sexual
misconduct allegations may effect Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
chances in winning the gubernatorial recall race.
ONLINE
SPECIAL: The
Recall of Gray Davis In
the Shadows 9/30/03
Terence Smith leads
a discussion about the
alleged leak of the identity of a covert CIA agent to at least six journalists,
and the decision of syndicated newspaper columnist Robert Novak to report it.
Changing the Game
9/19/03
Big money is changing
the presentation of sports
on television, and in some cases, the sports themselves.
Extended Interviews: CBS Sports President Sean
McManus and ESPN/ABC Sports President George
Bodenheimer Rewriting
the Rules 9/16/03
Terence Smith looks
at the
various legislative methods Congress is pursuing to undo all or elements of the
new FCC rules, and considers the Senate-approved resolution's prospects in
the House and the White House. Blair's
Defense 8/28/03
British Prime Minister
Tony Blair responds to BBC claims that weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly was the
source for reports that the British government manipulated intelligence on Iraq's
weapons of mass destruction. Editors'
Views 8/21/03
Terence Smith gauges
the public's response to the rising attacks on U.S. troops, and whether the
Bush administration should seek more help from the United Nations with four editorial
page editors. Naming
the Accuser 8/8/03
Terence Smith discusses
whether media
organizations should make public the name of the accuser in stories about rape
cases with Geneva Overholser, a professor at the University of Missouri, and
Catherine Crier, an anchor and executive editor at Court TV. Campaigning
Online 8/5/03
Terence Smith examines
Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean's success at building grassroots
support in cyberspace and how other presidential candidates are using the Internet
to their advantage. Policing
the Press 7/31/03
Terence Smith discusses
the recent changes at The New
York Times with Joann Byrd, a member of the Siegal committee that examined
The Times's newsroom policies, and Susan Tifft, a journalism professor at Duke
University. Elusive
Weapons 7/2/03
Terence
Smith discusses the importance
of the thus far unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq with
four editorial page writers from across the country. Russian
Media Crackdown 7/1/03
Terence Smith discusses
the recent closure of TVS and
the Russian parliament's proposed bill to restrict press coverage of the upcoming
elections with Ellen Mickiewicz, a professor and Russian media expert from
Duke University and Yevgeny Kiselyov, the former editor-in-chief of TVS.
Editorial Views on
Affirmative Action 6/24/03
Four editorial page
editors assess the public's
response to the Supreme Court's landmark affirmative action decisions.
Spam Wars 6/20/03
Junk e-mail, known
commonly as spam, continues to flood inboxes throughout the country. Terence Smith
examines the
continued effort to stop unwanted e-mail. Beaming
Back 6/19/03
Saul Gonzalez of KCET
of Los Angeles reports on National
Iranian Television, or NITV, broadcast from California, which Iranian officials
have blamed for inciting the recent unrest in that country. Multimedia
Appeal 6/18/03
News and entertainment
outlets are competing
for the first interview with rescued prisoner of war Jessica Lynch. Terence
Smith reports on CBS's multimedia plan to tell Private Lynch's story. Then, Ray
Suarez follows up with Tammy Haddad, a media consultant and radio host, and Tom
Wolzien, a senior media analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Co. Making
a Free Press 6/17/03
Terence Smith gets an
update on efforts
to create a free press in Iraq and a view of the current changes in the Iraqi
media from Deborah Amos, an NPR News correspondent reporting from Baghdad,
and David Hoffman, president of the Internews Network. In
Memoriam: David Brinkley 6/12/03
Terence Smith and
former NewsHour co-anchor Robert MacNeil reflect on Brinkley's
life, his career and the indelible mark he left on journalism. Saving
Private Lynch 6/10/03
Terence Smith discusses
whether the American media too
willingly accepted the story of the rescue of Private Jes | 
