With the impending departure of TV anchors Brian Williams and Jon Stewart, what makes a good news anchor? Also, should the high school exit exam be done away with? Then, The nation's top dietary advisory panel reportedly is set to correct long-standing cautions against eating cholesterol-heavy foods.
After Jon Stewart: Debating the future of satire and what makes a news anchor
The world of media has been turned upside down in the last 24 hours with news that embroiled NBC news anchor Brian Williams is suspended without pay for six months and that Jon Stewart is leaving the Daily Show.
In the pantheon of trusted public figures, we’re supposed to be able to turn to network news anchors and reporters for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But as the ways in which society consumes the news has shifted towards social media and away from traditional nightly news broadcasts, the landscape of news and journalism has morphed into a blend of news and entertainment.
One on hand, the media has focused on the crisis of “trust” and “credibility” surrounding NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, amid fallout from a story that he says he “misremembered” about being in a helicopter during the Iraq war.
On the other hand, the reaction to yesterday’s announcement by Jon Stewart that he would be leaving Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” demonstrated how entrenched entertainment and satire have become for a growing group of younger Americans, for whom many such a portmanteau show is the only source of news.
As news and entertainment have slowly come together over the preceding decades, how has the role and the characteristics of a good news anchor changed? How do you decide who to trust?
Who Should Replace Jon Stewart as Host of The Daily Show&
Guests:
Sophia McClennen, author of “Is Satire Saving our Nation? Mockery and American Politics.” She’s also a professor at Penn State University, where she directs the Center for Global Studies.
Robert Thompson, professor of television, radio, and film at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
Should CA do away with the high school exit exam?
A new bill introduced by Senator Carol Liu (D-Pasadena) would suspend the high school exit exam for three years, while an advisory panel determines whether it should be replaced or discontinued permanently.
The fate of the high school exit exam has been up for debate in other states, as the new Common Core curriculum is implemented in school districts across the nation.
Should the exit exam be replaced with something else? What are the alternatives?
Guests:
Anne Hyslop, Senior Policy Analyst with Bellwether Education Partners, a national nonprofit organization that consults with education organizations. She authored a report in 2014 for the New America Foundation titled “The Case Against Exit Exams”
Julian Betts, Adjunct Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California; Professor of Economics at UC San Diego. One of his research focuses is on K-12 education standards
House Democrats reserve endorsement of White House War Powers draft
House Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, refrained from endorsing expressly President Barack Obama's request for authorization of military force against "Islamic State" militants.
In a statement, Pelosi said the legislation should be "narrowly tailored" to fight IS. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, says he wants "more specific limits" to preclude "another major ground war."
Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner (OH), are calling for flexibility in the approved military action.
Aside from the political rhetoric, the actual draft resolution from the White House "does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces in enduring offensive ground combat operations." It continues to state the authorization "shall terminate three years after the date of the enactment..."
How would Congressional lawmakers alter the language? In your opinion, how should they? Does the threat posed by IS warrant US military action?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Adam Schiff, Democratic Congressman for California's 28th District including Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, etc.; Committee assignments include the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Jeremy Herb, defense reporter for POLITICO
Daniel Newhauser, reporter for the National Journal
Top US nutritionists to drop warnings about cholesterol bogeyman, report
The nation's top dietary advisory panel reportedly is set to correct long-standing cautions against eating cholesterol-heavy foods.
At a committee meeting in December, nutrition experts said cholesterol is no longer "considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."
Notwithstanding, it's still unclear that language will be added to the final guidelines of the dietary gospel created every five years by the Agriculture and Health & Human Services Departments. Reason being, most of the studies on cholesterol are too weak to support concrete conclusions. As late as 2013, a task force arranged by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association looked at the dietary cholesterol studies.
The group found that there was 'insufficient evidence' to make a recommendation." What does this mean for individuals with heart problems, diabetes or other ailments with dietary components?
Guest:
Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D., Registered Dietitian based in the South Bay