Univision and ABC are launching a new network, Fusion, aimed at reaching young Latinos. How will this network be different? Then, journalists Glenn Greenwald and Bill Keller debated if news can be impartial. Is there still a place for advocacy journalism? Next, do men and women look for different things when they date online? Which dating apps have you tried? Then, the FDA wants to restrict access to addictive painkillers. Will this drop the rate of abuse? Lastly, we talk with conductor David Lockington about Pasadena Symphony's new season, and we look at new changes at the Skirball Cultural Center.
Univision reaches out to young Latinos with Fusion
The Spanish-language network Univision Communications is launching a channel today that it hopes will appeal to young Latinos. Fusion is the new channel created as a joint initiative between Disney and ABC Television that’s expected to get Latino millennials more interested in the news.
The new channel stemmed from the recognition that second and third generation Latinos watch television in English. Issac Lee, Fusion’s chief executive said the channel will have a more relaxed tone than traditional TV news and will emphasize humor.
How else will Fusion differ from other news networks? Is this new channel something that really appeals to young Latinos?
Guests:
Federico Subervi, professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University in Ohio who research focuses on Latino media and audiences
Alain Groenendaal, CEO of Wing, a Latino marketing firm in New York
Are activist journalists like Glenn Greenwald the future of the news?
Bill Keller, op-ed writer for the New York Times, and Journalist Glenn Greenwald engaged in a lengthy debate in a New York Times piece on wheter journalists can be impartial. Keller believes reporters should be objective, and not put their personal opinions into their reports.
On the other hand, Greenwald, known widely for his reports on the NSA is unapologetic in presenting his point of view in his work, and thinks more reporters should also work this way. Keller argues reporters should let readers draw their own conclusions based on just the facts.
Greenwald argues that by nature human beings are not objective, so there is no need to hide opinions. The two go back and forth with their points in the lengthy piece. There is no doubt the journalism landscape is changing.
But, whose side are you on? Is the future of journalism for activism and advocacy? Is impartial and objective journalism necessary for the future?
Guest:
Rick Edmonds, Media Business Analyst, Poynter Institute
Women ISO a good online dating experience
Dating websites are so 2005. Today, more and more people looking for love, a date, or a no strings attached hook up are turning to their smartphones. One app that a lot of people are talking about is Tinder.
Simplicity is at the heart of Tinder: A series of photos of potential mates in your vicinity pop up on your phone. If you like the person you see, you swipe right. If you don’t, you swipe left and the next photo comes up. You get a match when you and the other person both swipe right, and then you can message each other.
One demographic has responded to Tinder overwhelmingly: women. What is it about Tinder that appeals to women? Do men and women essentially look for something different when they date or hook up online? Have you tried Tinder and what do you think?
Guests:
Ann Friedman, a Los Angeles-based writer who wrote about Tinder for New York magazine
Jessica Carbino, a PhD. candidate in sociology at UCLA whose research focuses on online dating
FDA wants to restrict access to addictive painkillers
Prescription drugs account for about three-quarters of all overdose deaths in the United States and some experts say easy access to narcotics is contributing to the high number. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced new proposals to restrict access to some of the most commonly used narcotics.
Doctors use these drugs - marketed as drugs like Vicodin or Lortab - to treat patients for pain from injuries, surgeries and even arthritis. The changes would require patients to hand in a paper prescription at the pharmacy rather than accepting them over the phone and it would cut the number of refills a patient could have without going back to see a doctor. The FDA's proposal will be submitted to the Drug Enforcement Agency in December for review.
Should milder painkillers that mix hydrocodone and an over-the-counter painkiller like acetaminophen or aspirin be as tightly controlled as heavily addictive drugs like OxyContin? Will patients see their access restricted to needed medications? When the FDA cracked down on OxyContin, did the rate of abuse drop?
Guests:
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, M.D. Chief Medical Officer of Phoenix House, a nonprofit addiction treatment organization and he is President of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP)
Robert Twillman, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the American Academy of Pain Management
New Pasadena Symphony conductor promises diverse and contemporary picks
The Pasadena Symphony is set to open its 2013-14 season with its new music director. David Lockington, music director of the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan will serve as the Pasadena Symphony’s first music director since 2010. Lockington said he plans to continue with the Grand Rapids Symphony through the 2014-15 season.
He said he hopes to get the symphony to perform a diverse range of music. The Pasadena Symphony will open November 2 with The Rite of Spring.
Guest:
David Lockington, Conductor & Music Director, Pasadena Symphony
Skirball Cultural Center gets revamped
The final expansion of the Skirball Cultural Center will be celebrated on October 19, 2013 marking the completion of a 30-year plan to update the Jewish cultural institution. The project’s vision was between Uri Herscher, President of Skirball, and Moshe Safdie, an architect.
There will be two new adorning buildings Herscher Hall and Guerin Pavilion that will add to the 15 acre campus which includes classrooms, event facilities, gardens, and museum galleries.
The new additions are 80,000 square-feet and will include a grand hall that can accommodate up to 1,200 people. The Skirball center has been opened since 1996 and was the first Jewish cultural institution in the United States to define itself by cross-cultural exchange. The center does numerous outreach beyond the Jewish community and has a strong commitment to inclusivity.
Guests:
Moshe Safdie, architect, urban planner, educator, and theorist
Uri Herscher, Founding President and CEO Skirball Cultural Center