The Media Narrative

A few quick ramblings with Election 2020 two days away.

In the second part of a conversation with journalist and educator Linn Washington, an examination of the question of how the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia relates to racial injustice today. Toward the end of this episode, Washington talks about the importance of ethics in journalism. Linn Washington has worked for news outlets from CNN to the Philadelphia Daily News and reported from all over the world. he teaches journalism at Temple Univeristy in Philadelphia. He has also covered the Mumia Abu-Jamal story for about 40 years.

Just over 35 years ago, eleven people were killed and 61 homes destroyed in a West Philadelphia neighborhood after police dropped C-4 explosives on a building occupied by MOVE, a black liberation organization. Journalist Linn Washington was there on May 13, 1985, covering the mayhem for the Philadelphia Daily News. This is the first of a two-part conversation with Washington. He'll talk about his work covering MOVE beginning in the mid-70s, police brutality under Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo, and his 21 hours of reporting from the scene of the bombing.

Although Ahmaud Arbery wasn't killed by police, the manner in which law enforcement officials have handled his case raises a number of questions about the role race may have played in his Feb. 23 death and the aftermath. The 25-year-old African American man was jogging in a coastal community in Georgia when three white men decided to attempt a citizen's arrest without having witnessed Arbery commit a crime. Seventy-four days after his death—and two days after a video of the shooting went viral—two suspects were finally arrested. In this episode, a local police reporter for the Brunswick News, Larry Hobbs, talks about his work to understand what happened that day. Hobbs, who has worked in community news for decades, discusses his effort to "hang on to the story" despite the scant information he uncovered in the days and weeks immediately afterward.

These are challenging times for American universities and colleges. But dozens of them would not exist without the financial benefit of land "seized or stolen or otherwise leveraged from indigenous tribes into US hands through violence-backed treaties," says historian Bobby Lee. Earlier this year, Lee and Tristan Ahtone, an investigative journalist, published a High Country News article resulting from two years of deep research, analysis, and reportage. In this episode they talk about how some schools have responded—or not and provide advice for how journalists and everyone else can use the research for further study. Land Grab U website High Country News article

It was right in the middle of the 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when the staff of the Times-Picayune learned that their newsroom would be shutting down. At the time, Jennifer Larino was lead reporter at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, and within months of the layoffs, she had founded a community-based journalism nonprofit with New Orleans-born filmmaker and teacher E'Jaaz Mason. Lede New Orleans works to build skills in young journalists and artists with the goal of increasing equity in the journalism industry in newsrooms and producing news coverage that more accurately reflects the authentic character of the people of New Orleans. In our conversation, Larino and Mason talked about the Times-Picayune layoffs (2:00); inequity in media (7:00); how mainstream media miss the point of the Second Line (11:00); launching a journalism nonprofit in the middle of a pandemic (15:50); and the somewhat shaky future of New Orleans (22:00). After the interview you'll hear an excerpt of the song "Qiuck," by New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas, and the host's episode essay, focusing on contact tracing (27:45).

Born in El Paso, Texas, Julián Aguilar is now based there as immigration and border security reporter for the Texas Tribune, a nonprofit digital media organization established in 2009. He also covers elections, politics, and drug trade, among other issues. All of his work for the Tribune requires a nuanced understanding of policy and the way it affects communities on either side of the border. During the conversation, Aguilar described the tense atmosphere around covering a safehouse in Juarez, Mexico (0:52); detention centers in Texas and Covid-19 (9:20); Black Lives Matter in Texas (11:45); the murders at a Walmart in El Paso (14:30); and the state of journalism today (19:15). You'll also hear the host's thoughts on Independence Day (22:00).

According to the American Journalism Project, 2,100 U.S. communities have lost their newspapers since 2004. In this third year of the podcast—what we're dubbing the third season—episodes will focus greatly on the work of local journalists. After early shows traveling, virtually, to New Orleans and El Paso, Texas, I'll check in with reporters around the country to hear the most resonant stories from those places. It's an election year, and we'll inevitably touch on some of those biggest issues—racism, Covid, voting, and politics, but if we do, it will be through the lens of community, nonprofit, and alternative news reporting. New episodes every Friday throughout 2020. Theme music: Matt Jenson

He is a novelist, songwriter, bandleader, designer, web developer, and entrepreneur, among other things. It's likely that he's best known as a musician and the leader of the Boston-based band, Jim's Big Ego, but Jim Infantino's latest creation is his first novel, a work of science fiction that takes us about 80-90 years into the future. In The Wakeful Wanderer’s Guide to New New England, half the people have technology implanted in their brains that allows for thexting - communication that unfolds without the need for speech, and the other half avoid the implant and its trappings. That dynamic leads to a story that makes for an engaging confrontation with how we relate and live. In this episode, Jim Infantino talks about the inspiration for his novel, how its central themes overlap with cyber hippie trends of the 60s and 70s, letting go of what had been his ultimate musical ambitions, and advice for living as a creative person in this world. Related Links The Wakeful Wanderer's Guide to New New EnglandJim Infantino's websiteJim's Big Ego Slab Media

Cognitive scientist and author Pooja K. Agarwal has spent a large portion of her career connecting education research and classroom teaching. For a long time, educators didn’t have access to relevant research, but Agarwal and Patrice Bain have co-authored a book—Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning—that’s bridging that gap. The book is also packed with insights and exercises that will not only help teachers, but anyone who has any interest in learning as well.Agarwal, a professor at Berklee College of Music, is the founder of RetrievalPractice.org, a research-based resource of teaching strategies used by educators around the world. During our conversation, Agarwal talked about why the gap between the art of teaching and the science of learning exists (4:00); "purpose and product" in teaching (6:00); the power of "spacing" in the classroom (11:45); the benefits of reading Greg McKeown's book Essentialism (15:45); how musicians can use retrieval practice (20:00); using Google docs and other adventures in coauthoring a book (33:30). Related Links Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (more on the book) Retrieval Practice website and resources Pooja Agarwal website Essentialism, by Greg McKeown

The sixth book by Charles Giuliano, Counterculture in Boston: 1968–1980s, features new interviews with journalists, authors, radio hosts, producers, and other luminaries, such as George Wein, Jon Landau, Charles Laquidara, and Dexter Gordon. It’s an invaluable oral history of the work, culture, and arts that marked one of the most tumultous periods in U.S history. The book also features several of Giuliano’s photographs from that period, as well as vintage images by other photographers. In this episode, Giuliano talks about his work as a jazz critic, alternative press editor and reporter, and online publisher. The conversation veers through a range of topics, including media, music, Facebook, and the cost of higher education. Giuliano is a visual artist and art curator, and has published five books of “gonzo poetry. He coined the term “gonzo” in 1970, during a conversation with the Boston Globe’s Bill Carduso, who later passed the term to Hunter Thompson. Related Links Berkshire Fine Arts (Giuliano's online magazine)

Rona Elliot has witnessed some of the biggest moments in rock history, including Bob Dylan plugging in at the Newport Folk Festival, the Beatles performing in 1966 at Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles, and everything that happened while she was working at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. As a network radio reporter beginning in the 1970s, and then in the 1980s—as a music journalist for The Today Show—she interviewed greats such as Tina Turner, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, and Mick Jagger. In this episode, Elliot talks about overcoming barriers she faced as a woman in media and battling network bosses who didn't believe network audiences were interested in interviews with rock stars. She has written for national newspapers, edited a book by photographer Henry Diltz, and serves on the Board of Trustees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has also served as visiting faculty at New York University and Berklee. Related Links Interview with Tina Turner (1986) Media Pick of the Week Author Robert Kuttner on Boston Public Radio (Sept. 25, 2019)

In this brief episode, we join striking students and citizens and hard-working media organizations to spread awareness of the growing climate crisis. You'll hear the voice of 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and your host reads an excerpt of a New York Times column by Jamie Margolin (Zero Hour). Additional audio provided by #Podstrike.

As a kid growing up in Massachusetts, Jordan Rich had dreamed of being an actor. But he was just as passionate about the "theater of the mind," as radio is often called, and went full bore into that industry once his voice dropped. He began his career as a weather reporter in the 70s, and thousands of interviews later, he continues to work in the field, not only in radio, but as a voice actor, producer, voice teacher, podcaster, speaker, and in several other roles. During our interview, Jordan Rich talked about his years of hosting an overnight talk show on Boston radio giant WBZ-AM, how podcasting flowed naturally out of his radio work, and his approach to interviewing. Learn more about Jordan Rich; his company, Chart Productions; and his podcast, On Mic with Jordan Rich at jordanrich.com.

The host of the show asks for listener feedback, with some specific questions, provides some newsworthy updates on two past guests, and hints at upcoming episodes, one related to Woodstock, and one to the wide world of voice. Listener Feedback Questions Please email any responses to rob@themedianarrative.com. Related Links Julio Ricardo Valera WaPo column Ear Hustle (Radiotopia) news

In 1978, Susan Rogers sent $1.75 in postage to the U.S. army and received a box full of electronics manuals, just because she asked. She began teaching herself audio technology from these manuals, and a few years later, found herself at a recording console, capturing the tracks that would become Prince's monumental Purple Rain album. Rogers's resourcefulness emerges, at least in part, from a wide-ranging curiosity in many things, but she's particularly obsessed with music and science. After four-plus years with Prince, Rogers went on to work with artists such as Davi Byrne, Barenaked Ladies, Laurie Anderson, and the Jacksons. Those experiences, combined with her subsequent earning of a Ph.D in psychology/neurocience have helped make Rogers a powerhouse college professor and thinker. She seeks to deepen our understanding of the science and psychology of music and is helping equip the next generation to make music that endures. In our conversation, Susan talks about what makes for enduring popular music (2:30); her life as a non-musician who listens incredibly closely to music (15:45); working with Prince (24:20); turning toward a career in science (32:00); consonance, dissonance, and how we process music and sound (37:30); and why we care so much about music 46:45). Related Links Susan Rogers teaching bio

When Dr. Joia Mukherjee visited her father's hometown of Calcutta, India as a child in 1972, she observed for the first time how poverty and lack of healthcare wreaks havoc on quality of life. She went on to study medicine, volunteer in Africa, and ultimately—after becoming a doctor—join Partners in Health (PIH), a nonprofit that strives to improve access to health care in countries that are most in need. She now serves as chief medical officer at PIH and teaches global health at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her 2017 book, An Introduction to Global Health Delivery—featuring a foreword by PIH cofounder Paul Farmer—examines the interaction between social forces and healthcare access and proposes ways of addressing the problems. During a conversation in her Boston office, Dr. Mukherjee talked about how slavery, colonialism, and neoliberalism have contributed to the crisis in global health care access (3:30); the impact of a childhood visit to India (7:00); how economic practices impact healthcare access (16:30); how diverging definitions of freedom illuminate global healthcare issues (22:30); an example of a success story in Haiti (26:30); and how the media has fallen short in covering global health (30:00). RELATED LINKS Partners in Health website Profile article: Dr. Joia Mukherjee | Global Health Warrior Mukherjee's Book: An Introduction to Global Health Delivery

After years of award-winning work as a journalist and investigative reporter for The Boston Globe and other publications, Marcella Bombardieri took a bold left turn in 2016 and joined the Center for American Progress (CAP) as a policy analyst. But after years of newswriting on the subject of higher education, Bombardieri made a smooth transition to a progressive think tank where her focus would be on higher ed policy. As associate director of postsecondary education at CAP, Bombardieri has spent the bulk of her time examining the operations of community colleges and other public colleges and universities. Poverty among college students is worsening, and it's one of the reasons that Bombardieri and her colleagues are aiming to help make all U.S secondary schools more affordable. At the same time, she continues to write for publications such as the Globe and the Atlantic, articulating arguments from the policy perspective, and relying heavily on her well-developed skills as a storyteller and scribe. During our conversation, Bombardieri talked about the arc of her career as a journalist who transitioned to the policy side (2:30); a Texas community college with an innovative program for addressing student poverty (8:00); the challenge of a role at CAP where she plays a bifurcated role as writer and policy expert (15:30); CAP's Beyond Tuition affordability proposal (20:30); and the college admissions bribery scandal (33:00).

Meet three of the musicians who accompanied Van Morrison on the stage and in the studio in 1968, when Morrison was working on the songs that would appear on his classic second solo album, Astral Weeks. Bassist Tom Kielbania, drummer Joey Bebo, and saxophonist/flutist John Payne spoke about their collaborations with Van Morrison at a panel and celebration in December 2018, right around the 50th anniversary of the album's release. Author Ryan H. Walsh also spoke during the day; his acclaimed book, Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968, had shed light fully on the story for the first time. Get more of the that story by reading Walsh's book and listening to his appearance on a June 2018 episode of this podcast. In this episode, you'll learn about how the Boston band met Van (2:00); get the insider stories on the Astral Weeks recording sessions (8:00); hear why one of the musicians chose Berklee over Van Morrison (15:30); and from Walsh, on the making of the album: It was “like if you painted the Mona Lisa in the middle of a riot.”(17:15). RELATED LINKS Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968 John Payne Music Center Ryan H. Walsh

Where many of us see advertisements as annoyances and interruptions, author and journalist Brian Coleman sees the arc of a place's history and the evolution of its artists, businesses, music scene, and social justice movements. In his fourth and newest book, Buy Me, Boston, Coleman curates and presents more than 400 print ads and flyers of 60s, 70s. and 80s Boston. It reveals the city's passions and ambitions, as well as its prejudices and challenges. Coleman worked as a music journalist and publicist for years and established himself as a hip-hop historian and authority, with three nonfiction music books: Check the Technique Volume 1 and 2 and Rakim Told Me, all of which told the stories of classic rap albums. During our conversation, Coleman talks about his early discoveries for Buy Me, Boston (5:30); being a hip-hop oral historian (10:00); an obsession with advertising (14:30); Flyers for Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix and other musicians (18:15) his purposeful lack of organizational structure for the book (22:15) sexist ads of the 60s (26:00) ads as the pure voice of a business or organization (28:00); Buy Me, Boston Video loft (36:00); Business innovators and artist-entrepreneurs of the 1960s and 70s (42:30); his approach to interviewing hip-hop legends (47:30); and advice for aspiring archivists and interviewers (55:30). RELATED LINKS Brian Coleman's website