On the Media

American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria 14 years ago. A secret lead suggests he may still be alive. This week we're sharing the first episode of Where Is Austin Tice? NPR's documentary podcast, Embedded, partners with BBC Radio 4 to follow reporter Josh Baker as he travels through a changing country to attempt to uncover the truth. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When the president barred Politico, CNN, and MS Now from the White House, the press pool boycotted the president, leaving him without his usual TV coverage. On this week’s On the Media, why media outlets finally banded together. Plus, the legal debate over journalists’ access to the country's highest office. [01:00] Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger get together to chat about The White House Press Pool’s walkout, why it took so long for them to take collective action, and what it means for the relationship between Donald Trump and the media. [16:12] Brooke Gladstone speaks with Roger Parloff, senior editor at Lawfare, about about the Trump administration’s legal justifications for banning outlets, and what he learned from attending the hearings this week.[31:38] Brooke also sits down with Sonja West, professor of the first amendment at the University of Georgia School of Law, about the history of press access being granted, and denied by the White House.   On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At the outset of the war with Iran, Brooke Gladstone spoke to Wes J. Bryant, a former senior policy advisor at the Pentagon and retired Air Force Master Sergeant, about the civilian protection initiative he was working on for the Department of Defense and the deadly consequences of Secretary Hegseth’s decisions to close it down. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI researchers are warning that the technology they’re creating could kill us all. On this week’s On the Media, unpacking the feverish debate over the dangers of artificial intelligence. Plus, why people find AI chatbots more convincing than their fellow humans.[01:00] Brooke Gladstone interviews Joshua Rothman, staff writer at The New Yorker, about the competing narratives around AI, which maximize its power on the one hand and minimize it on the other, and how both sides risk misunderstanding the technology and what to do about it. [21:38] Micah Loewinger speaks with Jason Koebler, investigative reporter and co-founder of 404 Media, about the A.I. marketing tactic that’s bombarded Reddit, and why AEO, not SEO, is changing the internet’s future. [36:05] Micah Loewinger chats with Kai Kupferschmidt, contributing writer for Science, about the growing body of research showing that chatbots can be as, if not more, persuasive than people. Further reading / watching:“Can A.I. ‘Go Rogue’?” by Joshua Rothman“Companies Are Using Reddit to Manipulate ChatGPT and Google AI Search” by Jason Koebler“It Is Trivially Easy to Use Reddit to Manipulate AI Search, Research Suggests,” by Jason Koebler“Powers of persuasion: AI chatbots are becoming experts at changing people’s minds. What gives them an edge?” by Kai Kupferschmidt On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The hit HBO series, How To With John Wilson was huge when it came out during the pandemic, 2020. Wilson begins each episode with a sort of mundane premise like how to split a check with your friends or how to properly throw out batteries, and then cleverly deviates from the idea, inserting delightful and strange interactions filmed on New York’s sidewalks and his poetic narration on city life and beyond.After wrapping 3 seasons of the show, Wilson has a new project, again focused on infrastructure, a feature length movie, titled The History of Concrete, which comes to theaters September 18th. Micah called him up to talk about the state of the documentary industry and the arduous journey behind making the film.  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.