The Best Of What Journalism Can Be: CBS On Puerto Rico’s Never-Ending Emergency

 

On The Media (10/13/17)

David Begnaud of CBS was in Puerto Rico before Hurricane Maria hit on September 20. In the aftermath, he and his team reported for two weeks straight, posting videos on Twitter and sending dispatches to the network. He tracked the logjam of aid stuck in ports, the snaking lines for water, the utter chaos at the San Juan airport. In response, Puerto Ricans of the diaspora have begun nominating him for honorary status as one of their own. After a short break, he’s back on the island and still reporting. Begnaud speaks to Bob about how a recent rainstorm has made conditions even worse than they were before he left, and how he is serving as a conduit between Puerto Rican officials and FEMA.

Link to Story and 10-Minute Audio

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How To Respond When Trump Threatens The First Amendment

On the Media (10/13/17)

President Trump tweeted a lot this week and much of it, unsurprisingly, was directed at the media. In response to a report from NBC on Wednesday that he had been looking to increase the U.S. nuclear stockpile, President Trump took to Twitter to float the idea that NBC should lose its broadcasting license. That’s not how broadcasting licenses work, but Trump’s tweets (and his ensuing comments) are an extension of his frequent attacks on the press. So how much should we pay attention to the bluster?

Bob speaks with David Snyder of the First Amendment Coalition about how to assess Trump’s attacks on free speech and what real-world effects they are having. Plus, he advises Bob on how to judge the many threats Trump makes on Twitter.

Link to Story and 10-Minute Audio