Media

National

Local Kentucky TV Station Wants To 'Un-Hype' The News

6:05pm July 31, 2013

by David Folkenflik

Sick of the hype that desperate local TV news programs use to try to draw viewers, a station in Louisville, Ky., is making a bold promise: If news isn't breaking at that moment, the station won't call it breaking news. It is part of a new compact with viewers and advertisers not to hype the news.

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A week after Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo's show was canceled, allegations of sexual harassment have surfaced.

Spanish-Language Radio Star Yanked Off The Air

12:49pm July 31, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

Last week, Univision cancelled Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo's popular radio show, Piolín Por La Mañana. Now allegations of workplace sexual harassment have surfaced.

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Scott Simon On Sharing His Mother's Final Moments On Twitter

5:33pm July 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Weekend Edition host used Twitter to share his observations and feelings in the final, tender moments of his mother's life. In a conversation with NPR's Audie Cornish, Simon remembers his late mom and explains how the social media community bolstered his spirits in a time of grieving.

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National

The Reply To Email Overload? Prioritize — Or Turn It Off

7:33am July 26, 2013

by Elise Hu

In this age of digital overload, we're forced to pay "continuous partial attention" to the world around us. The problem of too much email is so prevalent that a Wall Street titan is using it as his legal defense. Experts offer tips on dealing with the email onslaught.

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Zang-e-Khatar, or Danger Bell, makes fun of government officials and other powerful figures in Afghanistan. Cast members are shown performing a skit during a taping of the show.

World News

Despite Many Threats, Afghan TV Satire Mocks The Powerful

9:10pm July 23, 2013

by Sean Carberry

Afghanistan's top political comedy sketch show mocks aspects of day-to-day life in hopes of shaming the government to clean up its act. The cast of Zang-e-Khatar, or Danger Bell, has tackled everything from corruption to bad roads, and they've received death threats for doing it.

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Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas broke barriers and became a White House fixture, but her famous bluntness caused her downfall in the end.

Veteran Journalist Helen Thomas Leaves An Outspoken Legacy

3:09pm July 23, 2013

by David Folkenflik

In her long career, Thomas broke barriers and became a White House fixture — but her famous bluntness caused her downfall in the end. She died Saturday morning at the age of 92.

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Royal Baby News Or No? Guardian Lets Web Visitors Decide

9:02pm July 22, 2013

The Guardian's U.S. editor in chief, Janine Gibson, discusses how the news organization came up with the idea to let visitors to its website see news about the royal baby or not. You can click on "Royalist" or "Republican." (In the U.S., the choice is "Royalist" or "Not a royalist.") We muse on what this means.

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National

A Trial Made For Prime Time

5:26pm July 18, 2013

The trial of George Zimmerman has not only made news; it has also made for must-see TV. These days, cameras inside the courtroom routinely make stars out judges, lawyers and witnesses. But is that a good thing? Host Jacki Lyden talks to the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, Marcia Clark, about cameras in the courtroom.

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World News

Al-Jazeera Under Fire For Its Coverage Of Egypt

7:45am July 18, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

The accuracy of Al-Jazeera's reporting has come under criticism in the past, and now the network is taking a hit amid claims it slanted its coverage in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood during Egypt's recent political crisis. At stake, too, is the credibility of Al-Jazeera's main backer, Qatar.

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Jenny McCarthy, a regular guest host on The View, has been selected as a permanent co-host beginning in September. The appointment has sparked controversy because of McCarthy's anti-vaccination advocacy.

McCarthy's Vaccination Stance Complicates Job On 'The View'

8:59pm July 16, 2013

by David Folkenflik

The new co-host for TV chatfest The View is a vivacious and outspoken model, actor and activist for children, seemingly a perfect person to have at the table of the successful network talk show. But Jenny McCarthy is also one of the nation's leading skeptics about the safety of childhood vaccines.

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