Journalism History

Episode 144: The Letdown of Liberal Talk Radio

Journalist Gregory Svirnovskiy discusses Democrats’ unsuccessful attempts after the 1994 midterm elections to counter conservative hosts like Rush Limbaugh with the liberal voices of Mario Cuomo, Gary Hart, and Ed Koch. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

From the Vault: Journalists on Film

In this episode from our vault, author Richard Ness reviews Hollywood’s diverse depictions of journalists over the years, from crusading reporters in All the President’s Men and Spotlight to manipulative media executives in Citizen Kane and Network. The transcript is episode 103 at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/.

Episode 143: Last Paper Standing

Author Ken Ward discusses his new book, which examines a century of competition between the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

From the Vault: They Came to Toil

In this episode from our vault, professor Melita Garza discusses newspaper representations of Mexicans and immigrants during the Great Depression years and the issues that remain in current times. Note that some references to current events may have changed since the episode was first released. The transcript is episode 23 at https://journalism-history.org/podcast.

Episode 142: The Peopleization of TV News

Researcher Maddie Liseblad discusses the early days of television in the U.S. and how the format for local TV news that continues today was developed in the 1960s. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast.

From the Vault: The Flyin’ Jenny Comic Strip

In this episode from our vault, scholars Pamela Walck and Ashley Walter discuss their research on a pioneering comic strip whose portrayal of a female aviator helped ease Americans’ fears about changing gender roles in the World War II era. The transcript is Episode 13 at https://journalism-history.org/podcast.

Episode 141: Fake News in the American Revolution

Author Jordan Taylor examines a “post-truth” era that long predated misleading social media posts and unscrupulous twenty-first-century politicians, stretching back to when colonial newspapers printed false accounts of battles and beheadings. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast

From the Vault: The Commercialization of PBS

In this episode from the vault, historian Camille Reyes charts the history of the Public Broadcasting Service as a platform for new ideas and information that has been haunted and hobbled by capitalism and cronyism. The transcript is Episode 78 at https://journalism-history.org/podcast.

Episode 140: How Private Investment Helped Destroy Newspapers

Margot Susca delves into the destructive practices of private equity firms on newspapers, highlighting the urgent need for a thorough understanding of this history in safeguarding our democratic society. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/
 

Episode 139: PR and Crime Novels

PR researcher Karen Miller Russell discusses her latest article examining public relations in U.S. mystery novels. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast