On Wednesday a House committee approved the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, a law that allows individuals with concealed carry permits to carry their weapons across state lines regardless of how strict a particular state's gun laws are. We dive into the the political dilemma Democratic politicians face when voting on this bill. We also discuss the economic impact of driverless trucks; and more.
Matt Lauer fallout: Impact on morning TV war, and what’s NBC’s role in managing its stars?
It’s the second time this month, first with Charlie Rose and now with Matt Lauer, that a prominent male host has been let go from their morning show seat because of sexual assault allegations.
Morning shows have long been an institution of American media and the host-viewer connection can feel like an intimate one, so what do these high-profile departures mean for the morning shows as they continue to battle for the eyeballs of viewers?
The recent revelations of the allegations against Lauer, as detailed in Variety’s recent piece, also raise questions about what management is willing to overlook in order to retain its “talent.” Their depiction is one of Lauer as a star given latitude to mistreat and sexualize co-workers with no consequence.
How can management set boundaries for its talent and create a better work environment? Do you have experience working in an environment where “talent” gets a free-pass?
Guests:
Brian Steinberg, senior TV editor for Variety; he tweets
Beth Livingston, professor of management and organizations at the University of Iowa
Can Google, Facebook weed out fake news with ‘trust indicators’?
In light of criticism over “fake news” posts on social media, Google, Facebook and Twitter announced earlier this month that they will start mark content with “trust indicators” to help users become better informed about the reliability of news feed posts.
The Trust Project, which is behind the indicators, came out of Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. It’s a non-partisan effort to enhance transparency and media literacy in the era of “fake news.” News outlets including Mic, The Economist and The Globe and Mail are partnering with The Trust Project to launch trust indicators on their content.
There are eight guidelines that the project is using to peg a reliable article including author expertise, news outlet standards (who funds them), citations and references and reporting methods. To become a media partner of the project, news outlets must use at least three of the eight guidelines. Facebook test launched a Trust Indicator icon earlier this month, which comes in the form of an icon on the bottom right of articles in its news feed.
But will the public catch on to “trust indicators”? And what responsibility do social media platforms have in pegging real and “fake” news.
Guests:
Cory Haik, publisher of Mic, a news and media company and launch partner of The Trust Project; Haik runs the editorial and product and engineering team, and manages Mic’s content; she tweets
Mike Ananny, communication and journalism assistant professor at USC where his research focus includes new media technologies, digital journalism and press ethics; he tweets
How a new bill could affect whether people carry concealed weapons across state lines
In light of recent shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, a House committee approved a bill Wednesday to allow people with a permit to carry concealed weapons across state lines.
As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, HR38, would allow people from states with and without concealed carry permit laws to bring concealed weapons into states with strict gun laws. Republicans argue that wait time for police during shootings may be cut short if civilians carrying guns could intervene. The GOP bill could get a House vote as soon as next week, according to Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA).
As expected, Democrats including Dianne Feinstein are have challenged the bill, but some Dems facing re-election next year in conservative states could be pressured to vote in favor of HR38.
If the bill passes, how will it affect states with strict gun control laws like California?
Guests:
Michael Hammond, legislative counsel at Gun Owners of America, a gun rights organization based in Springfield, VA
Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control organization headquartered in San Francisco
Driverless trucks: their impact on jobs, consumers, and the trucking industry
The auto industry has devoted considerable resources in getting self-driving cars on the road.
Google and other auto manufacturers have been testing their autonomous vehicles around the country, and GM has promised this week that its version of the technology will be available to American drivers in the very near future.
But driverless cars are not the only tech car companies are work on. There’s also been a lot of energy in bringing driverless trucks on the road.
In this segment of AirTalk, Larry and technology journalist David Freedman will look at driverless truck technology, and the impact it will have on jobs and society.
Guest:
David H. Freedman, a technology journalist and a contributing editor at The Atlantic; his piece looking at the impact of driverless trucks was recently published in MIT Technology Review