WBUR.ORG : Special Coverage

01.18.2002

The Return of Tabloid Television Listen

Prince Harry

Forums: Are you frustrated that the news has at least somewhat returned to its old tabloid ways?

The reports from Afghanistan have been replaced with in-depth discussions of Michael Jordan's divorce and Prince Harry being caught smoking marijuana. To many, September 11th and its aftermath represented journalism's finest hour. But in January of 2002, many are lamenting that the news industry has returned to business as usual.

This hour, we look at the return of tabloid television. Has anything really changed in the news business? Is the departure from serious news all the time really a bad thing?

Guest:

Robert Thompson, Professor of Media and Popular Culture at Syracuse University

Rory O'Connor, President and CEO of Globalvision New Media

Normon Solomon, weekly syndicated columnist from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting

Paula Bernstein, television network reporter for Variety Magazine

Plus, a teenager from the same northern California county as American Taliban John Walker says the path taken by Walker from that liberal county to the deserts of Afghanistan is hardly surprising

Patricia Smith (courtesy of e-poets)

Forums: Share your recent poetry in our forums.

Slamming Terrorism Listen

Salman Rushdie once said that, "A poet's work is to name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep." Since the events of September 11th many have turned to the wise words of poets for insight in the troubled world around them.

This hour, one of the nation's foremost slam poets riffs on our post 9-11 nation.

Guests:

Patricia Smith, prominent slam poet

The Phil Pemberton Band

Plus, Tom and Jack look back at an eventful week.