Ira Glass on his nervous pitch to monologist Mike Daisey
Current’s Feb. 27 story on This American Life’s recent breakthroughs with enterprise reporting describes the inspiration behind “Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory,” the story on Apple factories in China...
View ArticleSimple Googling dug up what Daisey had hidden
Within a few hours of phoning the translator who refuted key details in a This American Life show about factories that manufacture Apple products in China, Marketplace correspondent Rob Schmitz was on...
View ArticleDaisey, onstage and off air, revives his ‘Agony and Ecstasy’
“There is no objective, journalistic version of the show,” Daisey said. “I will be, always, making constant lies of omission by leaving out tons and tons and reams and reams of details." Continue...
View ArticleWith new independent film, Ira Glass and TAL dream big
'Sleepwalk With Me,' is the program's latest (and biggest) attempt to break into the movie business. Continue reading →
View ArticleDavid Rakoff, This American Life contributor, dies at 47
Humorist and essayist David Rakoff, a regular contributor to Public Radio International’s This American Life since the program’s inception, died Aug. 9 after a fight with cancer that dated to his 20s....
View ArticleIra Glass developing new scripted series about transgender man with Sundance...
This American Life host and public radio superstar Ira Glass continues his foray into scripted entertainment, as a producer of a new television series in development at the Sundance Channel. The...
View ArticleLatest shows inspired by TAL speak in foreign tongues
Among the new radio programs inspired by This American Life are two productions for listeners who don’t speak English. Both Israel Story and Radio Ambulante launched after receiving some guidance and...
View ArticleIra Glass responds to charges that he’s trying to censor risqué podcast
As one of the most popular podcasts of all time, Public Radio International’s This American Life has had to deal with its fair share of imitators and parodies over the years, and many other podcasts...
View ArticleIndependent Lens, WNYC and NPR among pubmedia’s 2012 Peabody winners
Judges in the 72nd annual Peabody competition selected winners as “the best in electronic media for the year 2012,” including PBS programs presented on Independent Lens, NPR’s coverage of the Syrian...
View ArticleScarce funding limits public media’s response to gun debate
The mass shootings last year in Colorado, Wisconsin and Connecticut reawakened Americans to recurring tragedies of gun violence and rekindled a national debate about gun control — one that public radio...
View ArticleAlabama network will drop Public Radio International shows
Alabama Public Radio will eliminate Public Radio International shows from its schedule, dropping This American Life and The World, reports Tuscaloosanews.com. Director Elizabeth Brock said the decision...
View ArticleThis American Life, Radiolab, Radio Rookies among Third Coast winners
Programs produced by Chicago’s WBEZ, New York’s WNYC and Miami’s WLRN won awards from the Third Coast International Audio Festival, handed out Oct. 20 at the organization’s Filmless Festival in...
View ArticleFriday roundup: This American Doodle, troubles at KCETLink
• Nothing spells love quite like This American Life. For a Valentine’s Day Doodle, Google has enlisted the Public Radio International program to present five love-themed stories from the series,...
View ArticleMonday roundup: CPB Board gets nominee; public TV funding rebounds
• President Obama has nominated Dr. Judith Davenport to serve as a CPB Board director, the White House announced Friday. Davenport, a retired dentist, co-founded Pittsburgh, Pa.–based Sheridan...
View ArticleAfter 17 years, PRI ending distribution of This American Life
Public Radio International announced today that it will end distribution of one of its biggest titles, This American Life. The Minneapolis-based PRI has offered TAL to stations since 1997. “During our...
View ArticleMonday roundup: TAL squelches PRX rumors; NPR Books boosts New Directions sales
• This American Life has yet to decide on a new distributor, contrary to Chicago media writer Bob Feder’s report over the weekend that the show would go to Public Radio Exchange. Feder posted a...
View ArticleThursday roundup: Pacifica names new interim head; Montagne evicted in Kabul
• The Pacifica Foundation announced the appointment of a new interim executive director, even as the one the foundation attempted to fire, Summer Reese, reportedly continues to camp out at the...
View ArticleDigital differences led to split between PRI, This American Life
TAL's desire to keep hold of its digital assets spurred the show's departure from its longtime distributor. Continue reading →
View ArticleThursday roundup: PBS promotes execs; Code Switch crowdsources poetry
• PBS has promoted two of its programming execs. Michael Kelley, formerly v.p. of strategy and business affairs, ascends to s.v.p., programming and business affairs. In addition, Bill Gardner, formerly...
View ArticleThursday roundup: Sweaters for public media, This American Life in the U.K.
Plus: NPR explains its analytics dashboard, and the Knight Foundation's interest in digital storytelling. Continue reading →
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