The Latest Controversies Surrounding Twitter After NPR And Affiliates Step Away From The Platform

National Public Radio is quitting Twitter after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk stamped NPR’s account with labels the news organization says are intended to undermine its credibility.

Twitter labeled NPR’s main account last week as “state-affiliated media, ” a term also used to identify media outlets controlled or heavily influenced by authoritarian governments, such as Russia and China. Twitter later changed the label to “government-funded media,” but to NPR — which relies on the government for a tiny fraction of its funding — it’s still misleading. NPR said in a statement Wednesday that it “will no longer be active on Twitter because the platform is taking actions that undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent.” NPR affiliates, including Los Angeles based stations KCRW and LAist, formerly known as KPCC, announced they’d step back as well. Joining to discuss the latest and what it means for the future of the platform is Bobby Allyn, tech reporter for NPR News who’s been covering the latest with Twitter.

With files from the Associated Press 

The State Government Is Limiting Press Access – How Will It Impact Our Local Media?

The California state government has more than 230 departments and agencies. More than 234,000 employees. Keeping the public apprised of everything that’s happening in that massive bureaucracy requires its own small army of communications staff, who craft messages, write press releases and answer questions from journalists covering everything from the governor to welfare programs, prisons to water policy. Lately, however, the information isn’t flowing as freely — raising transparency concerns among the press corps that acts as a watchdog for Californians. Why is this happening and how will this impact journalists and media organizations? Joining AirTalk today to speak on this communication discrepancy is Alexei Koseff, state politics and government reporter at Calmatters, and David Snyder, lawyer and executive director at the First Amendment Coalition.

Read the full story here

Where To See The Best Of California’s Spring Blooms -- Without The Crowds

It’s hard to beat the super blooms you can find out in the desert in places like Anza-Borrego and Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore, but if you’ve ever driven out there at the height of the colors in spring, you’ve experienced the sea of tourists and visitors who are also trying to snag that perfect pic. So, if you live in LA or Orange County, where can you go to see some of the best of California’s spring blooms that isn’t two hours away and crowded with people?Today on AirTalk, the Theodore Payne Foundation’s Director of Horticulture Tim Becker is with us to talk about where you can see some of the best of California’s native flora right in your neighborhood.

For more from LAist on where you can see the best super blooms out in the desert, click here.

After One Of California’s Wettest Winters, Could It Be The Worst Year For Allergies?

You might be noticing your co-workers starting to sniffle earlier than usual this spring. That’s because every year, allergy season seems to strike with more intensity and sooner than we expect. As global temperatures rise, plants bloom earlier and prolongs the amount of time that those impacted will experience symptoms. California has experienced one of the wettest winters on record, which is likely to exacerbate the pollen count and people’s allergic reactions. Are you someone who suffers from seasonal allergies and are already feeling the symptoms?

Joining us today on AirTalk is adult and pediatric allergist and immunologist at Cedars-Sinai Shazia Lutfeali. 

TV-Talk: ‘Barry’ Season 4, ‘Black Lady Sketch Show’ Season 4, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5 & More

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, Larry talks to LA Times tv critic Lorraine Ali, senior editor & chief tv critic for Deadline Dominic Patten, and Cristina Escobar, tv critic & co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co.

This week’s reviews include:

• Barry [Season 4] (HBO & HBO Max)
• A Black Lady Sketch Show [Season 4] (HBO Max)
• Somebody Somewhere [Season 2] (HBO Max)
• Leguizamo Does America (Airs on MSNBC, Streaming on Peacock)
• Chimp Empire (Netflix)
• Rennervations (Disney+)
• Succession [Season 4, Final Season] (HBO & HBO Max)
• Tiny Beautiful Things (Hulu)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel [Season 5, Final Season] (Amazon Prime Video)