A recent Gallup poll showed that television is king--at least when it comes to news. The poll showed that most adults rely on television as their source of news, compared to a fifth who said they mainly checked the internet. How do you get your news? Then, single dad households have risen ninefold in the last five decades. What does this mean for the changing role of fatherhood? Later, the chance of dying in a plane crash in the U.S. is only 1 in 14 million, so why do so many people still have a fear of flying? And the sweet taste of sugar may be satisfying to eat, but harmful to your health. We'll talk about why some people are advocating to regulate sugar like alcohol. Then, do open-plan offices increase productivity in the workplace?
News consumption of Americans & how it affects journalism
Since you're reading this on the Internet, it may sound odd to learn that television is still the main source of news for the majority of Americans - 55% according to Gallup polling. It's not just the retiree demographic either. Half of adults aged 18 to 29 and half aged 30 to 49 told Gallup they turn to TV as their primary source for news. The Internet came in next as a main source of news for 21% of Americans. Nine percent said newspapers and just six percent cite radio, but those who do skew highly educated.
But how do people define news? Do talk shows count? Also, how much original reporting is being done for television and Internet outlets? Historically, newspapers have worn out the most shoe leather while reporting on the day-in and day-out of our world. How will that continued deterioration of print readership affect journalism in the U.S.?
Guests:
Frank Newport, Editor-in-Chief of Gallup
Jeff Sonderman, Deputy Director, American Press Institute
Single dad households on the rise
Single dad households on the rise: The number of American households headed by a single father has significantly grown in the last five decades, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
Single fathers have risen nine-fold from 300,000 in 1960s to over 2.6 million in 2011. Nearly 8% of households are now headed by a single dad. Back in 1960 single dads made up just 14% of all single parents, now that number is 25%--nearly a quarter. Single fathers have an average income of $40,000, much higher than the average $26,000 for single mother households. The study also shows the change in the public perception of the role of fathers.
An opinion survey also conducted by Pew found that providing values as well as emotional support are now considered important roles for fathers, not just bringing in income. There are several factors that may have contributed to this dramatic increase. Out-of-wedlock births are now more common, single parenting is more acceptable, and courts over the years have been more likely to award custody to a father, all of these factors may have impacted the rise.
Do you think this study reflects a change in how fatherhood is viewed? How has the role of fatherhood changed? Do you think there is a stigma with being a single mom that single dads don’t face? Are you a single dad? What problems do you face that couples raising kids don’t? What joys do single dads experience that couple raising kids don’t? Were you raised by a single dad? What things did he struggle with? Where did he excel?
Guests:
Christopher Brown, Executive Vice President, Fatherhood.org
Gretchen Livingston, Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
Why flying phobias persist despite soaring airline safety records
The dramatic images of Saturday's Asiana Airlines' crash stir fears of flying, but the sober statistics of plane crashes tell a different story. According to a notable scholar from MIT, the chance of dying in an airplane disaster in the U.S. is 1 in 14 million. Travelling abroad? World-wide, 2012 was the safest year for commercial air travel since 1945. Put another way, MIT’s Arnold Barnett says flying has become so reliable that you could fly every day for 123,000 years before being in a fatal crash.
So why are people still afraid of flying? Some are so scared that careers get derailed, vacations never got off the ground, and far-away loved ones get fed up with one-way visits. UCLA psychologist Emanuel Maidenberg joins AirTalk to explain the causes of and cures for aerophobia.
Guest:
Emanuel Maidenberg, PhD, Psychologist with the UCLA Health System; he specializes in anxiety disorders
Can regulating sugar like alcohol help lower Americans' sugar consumption?
Yep. That’s exactly what pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig at the University of California, San Francisco suggested in an interview at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival. Lustig argues that sugar satisfies the four criteria used to determine whether a substance, like alcohol, should be regulated. 1. Ubiquity: it is everywhere. 2. Toxicity: that consumption in a large amount leads to chronic health problems. 3. Addictiveness: the more we eat it, the more we want it. 4. It has a negative impact on society.
Certainly, overindulging your sweet tooth could lead to diabetes, obesity and other health issues, but is sugar really as bad as something like liquor? Should we consider regulating sugar? What are the benefits and the drawbacks?
Guests:
Robert Lustig, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco.
Keith Ayoob, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine