May 21 - 27, 2017
1. Only Human - "The Birth of Climate Change Denial"
Have you ever wondered how the facts of climate change seem to be liberally appropriated for any and all political causes? Did you know that George H.W. Bush senior was very open about supporting the environment? This excellent podcast from Only Human (in collaboration with The United States of Anxiety) is among the best journalism I've encountered on the topic of how science has been changed into something subjective. It is engaging but also impartial, and informative above all else. I won't give away too much here, but I was (perhaps foolishly) astounded by the amount the story hinges on the work of an "expert." The villainization attached to this label hits incisively here, in a way that is both telling and frightening for how professionals in the hard sciences may be treated as things evolve.
2. Planet Money - "Small Change"
It's hardly novel to posit that the rate of change in the world is ramping up too fast for humanity to handle. Perhaps it is easier to align with this over-saturation narrative. Who doesn't occasionally take the "well it's all too complicated and different for me to understand" tactic when faced with a challenge? If you haven't resigned yourself to the inevitable reign of robot overlords, check out "Small Change." Generally a pessimistic tone is helpful in conveying the gravity of a situation, but in the realm of narrative news-telling I think a more hopeful take on things can be useful. Full of thought experiments and a gentle nudge to objectively examine our present circumstances, this installment of Planet Money dares to ask: what if we're actually living in a time of relative technological stasis? The team notes that this is not a popular opinion, but rather than taking a hard line stance (the death of journalistic integrity when dealing in the abstract) the show unfolds like a better-researched version of a late-night philosophical conversation about the fate of progress.
3. On the Media - "Focus"
In this timely meditation on covering acts of terror in the press, On the Media sizes up how to provide information without glorifying horror. This intersects with a conversation about stopping radicalization before it begins, and the extent to which social media companies are really committed to various promises about fighting propaganda within their platforms. It's not a fun realization that these outlets may not have the greater good in mind, but it is useful. Then finally, in another story of a network addressing a problem in a not-so-satisfying way, one southern town dips a proverbial toe in the water of reconciling it's sordid past.
HONORABLE MENTION
99% Invisible - "This Is Chance: Anchorwoman of the Great Alaska Earthquake"
Reply All - "What Kind Of Idiot Gets Phished?"
The Dinner Party Download - "Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Mac DeMarco"
SOMETHING NEW
I've got a new section of the blog to lay on you all. As the name indicates, this space will be dedicated to a new podcast I'm listening to for the first time. Gotta have it, make it work or break it, I'll write about an episode from a new show each week.
Death, Sex and Money - "Hari Kondabolu and His Mom Answer Your Life Questions"
Host Anna Sale tackles the interview podcast format from the vantage point of three hard to discuss themes: death, sex and money. Most shows in this genre endeavor to tease out the intimate frankness fostered on this WNYC offering, but Sale achieves an easy collegiality by being up front about the taboo. In this iteration, comedian Hari Kondabolu graces the show with his mom Uma. It's far less awkward than you might expect, and every bit as revelatory as you could hope. I should note that this particular episode was recorded live, though I believe the general structure is similar across all episodes.
Have you ever wondered how the facts of climate change seem to be liberally appropriated for any and all political causes? Did you know that George H.W. Bush senior was very open about supporting the environment? This excellent podcast from Only Human (in collaboration with The United States of Anxiety) is among the best journalism I've encountered on the topic of how science has been changed into something subjective. It is engaging but also impartial, and informative above all else. I won't give away too much here, but I was (perhaps foolishly) astounded by the amount the story hinges on the work of an "expert." The villainization attached to this label hits incisively here, in a way that is both telling and frightening for how professionals in the hard sciences may be treated as things evolve.
2. Planet Money - "Small Change"
It's hardly novel to posit that the rate of change in the world is ramping up too fast for humanity to handle. Perhaps it is easier to align with this over-saturation narrative. Who doesn't occasionally take the "well it's all too complicated and different for me to understand" tactic when faced with a challenge? If you haven't resigned yourself to the inevitable reign of robot overlords, check out "Small Change." Generally a pessimistic tone is helpful in conveying the gravity of a situation, but in the realm of narrative news-telling I think a more hopeful take on things can be useful. Full of thought experiments and a gentle nudge to objectively examine our present circumstances, this installment of Planet Money dares to ask: what if we're actually living in a time of relative technological stasis? The team notes that this is not a popular opinion, but rather than taking a hard line stance (the death of journalistic integrity when dealing in the abstract) the show unfolds like a better-researched version of a late-night philosophical conversation about the fate of progress.
3. On the Media - "Focus"
In this timely meditation on covering acts of terror in the press, On the Media sizes up how to provide information without glorifying horror. This intersects with a conversation about stopping radicalization before it begins, and the extent to which social media companies are really committed to various promises about fighting propaganda within their platforms. It's not a fun realization that these outlets may not have the greater good in mind, but it is useful. Then finally, in another story of a network addressing a problem in a not-so-satisfying way, one southern town dips a proverbial toe in the water of reconciling it's sordid past.
HONORABLE MENTION
99% Invisible - "This Is Chance: Anchorwoman of the Great Alaska Earthquake"
Reply All - "What Kind Of Idiot Gets Phished?"
The Dinner Party Download - "Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Mac DeMarco"
SOMETHING NEW
I've got a new section of the blog to lay on you all. As the name indicates, this space will be dedicated to a new podcast I'm listening to for the first time. Gotta have it, make it work or break it, I'll write about an episode from a new show each week.
Death, Sex and Money - "Hari Kondabolu and His Mom Answer Your Life Questions"
Host Anna Sale tackles the interview podcast format from the vantage point of three hard to discuss themes: death, sex and money. Most shows in this genre endeavor to tease out the intimate frankness fostered on this WNYC offering, but Sale achieves an easy collegiality by being up front about the taboo. In this iteration, comedian Hari Kondabolu graces the show with his mom Uma. It's far less awkward than you might expect, and every bit as revelatory as you could hope. I should note that this particular episode was recorded live, though I believe the general structure is similar across all episodes.
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