What's the role of white people in protests following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Also, how Rolling Stone's questionable article about an alleged rape at UVA might effect conversations about sexual assault on campus, and a look inside the Price is Right.
What 'white allies' can do to overcome racial inequality
Events in Ferguson, New York and Cleveland have opened a national debate on race and the justice system.
While the deaths of black men are at the center of the demonstrations, are people from other races welcome to protest? And what's the role of white people in overcoming racial inequality?
Shani Byard, who provides workshops for interracial understanding through her organization Message Media Education, and Janee Woods, a community engagement specialist and author of "12 things white people can do now because Ferguson" join Take Two to discuss.
Robbie Rogers and the Galaxy win the MLS Cup
History was made yesterday, on several levels, as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the New England Revolution to win the Major League Soccer Cup.
The Galaxy is the first team to win 5 MLS titles and for winger Robbie Rogers, he becomes the first openly gay man to be part of championship team in North American professional sports.
On the Lot: hungry hungry Hunger Games
The hungry hungry Hunger Games ate up the box office this weekend, Bradley Cooper plays the Elephant Man on Broadway and the first glimmers of awards season start to glow. It's time for On The Lot, our weekly peek behind the scenes in Hollywood. This week, The Frame's
joins the show in place of
.
Why gameshows like 'The Price is Right' are gaining viewers
Gameshows may seem retro, but they're gaining audiences here in the U.S. and abroad. Even shows like "The Price is Right," which have been on the air for decades, are gaining viewers.
Mike Richards, executive producer of "The Price is Right," spoke with Take Two host Alex Cohen about the secrets to the show's success:
Not the most important question, but first off, how heavy is the wheel?
It is deceptively heavy. And if you watch our show carefully, people spin it for the first time and they go 'Wow it’s really heavy!'… Because it’s literally made of plywood. There’s no space-age composite in it. And what people don’t think about is that every number that’s on it has a different weight, so then we have to counterweight it to make sure that every square is the exact same weight so that it spins perfectly.
What does it take to be a good gameshow host cause they make it seems so effortless but I’m sure it’s got to be hard.
‘Let’s Make a Deal’ and 'The Price is Right’ I think are the two hardest gameshows ever conceived conceived to host… Because, well ‘Price is Right’ there are 77 different pricing games.
And every other gameshow ever conceived, you prepped the contestant to come here, stand here, you rehearsed… We literally pluck these people out who have never been on television, they inevitably want to face the wrong way, they inevitably have no idea what’s going on, because all of a sudden, you know, they didn’t know they were going to be on TV that day. And then you’ve asked a host to be able to perfectly explain 77 games.
Why do you think ‘The Price is Right’ has been so successful for so many years now?
One, it’s an immaculately created format, created by Mark Goodson years and years ago. They came up with a show that has three wins just about every four minutes… Most gameshows go 55 minutes before there’s a win, we’re two deep within two minutes.
There are versions of the shows now in 37 different countries, is it fundamentally the same show?
It’s fundamentally the same. Every territory makes it a little bit different. The French version is a really interesting show. It kind of looks like ‘Price is Right’ but it’s very different in that the people all know that they’re coming down, so they kind of walk down… It’s more kind of an entertainment show than it is [a gameshow].
One of the things about the U.S 'Price is Right' is our prizes are insane because of the size of where the show airs and what our budget is for prizes… so they have to work the show a little differently because you can’t rely on three cars a show because those formats won’t withstand that budget-wise.
Rolling Stone magazine and allegations of rape on the UVA campus
The recent revelation by Rolling Stone about inaccuracies on their story about rape at the University of Virginia has sent shock waves throughout the country. Last month the magazine published "A Rape on Campus," and it told the story of a young woman by the name of Jackie.
According to the article, Jackie was just starting her freshman year when she was brutally attacked by seven men at a fraternity party. The story went on to say that the University was negligent in its investigation into the crime.
But last week Rolling Stone issued a formal apology about the story ... Saying that the magazine could not verify parts of Jackie's story.
But while many victim advocates were angry with the magazine and the reporting, many expressed worry about the potential fallout of the story.
What might this do to the movement to bring attention to campus sexual assault? Will this make victims even more reluctant to come forward?
We talk about it with Hanna Rosin - she's a writer for the Atlantic and Slate's Double X magazine, and was one of the first to question the report. She even talked to Rolling Stone reporter Sabrina Erdely for the Slate podcast, the Double X Gabfest.
Host A Martinez began by asking her what made her first doubt parts of the story.
HANNA ROSIN: First there was no response at all rom the people that she was accusing from this crime. Generally in a story there's a sentence that says we couldn't reach them for comment or they denied the allegations or something even generic like that. But that was missing from the story.
When asked what effect this now doubted story might have on the national conversation about sexual assaults on campus, Rosin says, "It depends."
HR: A lot of what happened in the story could be valid ... there's clearly a problem ... lots of people complaining about how the system treats them, about how the system handles cases, and by people I mean both rape victims and the accused.
How should journalists report on cases of rape?
Rolling Stone's coverage of an alleged rape at the University of Virginia was deeply disturbing to the journalism community.
Most reporters know that fact-checking is an absolutely crucial practice.
But when it comes to covering sexual violence, the reporting can be difficult and fraught with potential minefields.
Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University, explains the challenges that journalists face in covering such cases.
Here is some of the advice the Center posts on its website for reporters
PREPARATION AND APPROACH
Brief yourself thoroughly on the likely impacts and causes of sexual violence. Research local conditions and circumstances. But once you have done your research, leave it at the door. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge you have on the topic, you can never predict how a particular individual experienced the events that happened to them.
Get the language right. Rape or assault is not “sex.” A pattern of abuse is not an “affair”. Rape or sexual assault is in no way associated with normal sexual activity; trafficking in women is not to be confused with prostitution. People who have suffered sexual violence may not wish to be described as a “victim” unless they choose the word themselves. Many prefer the word “survivor”.
Respect a potential interviewee’s right to say no. Nobody should ever be forced to talk in detail about an event as traumatic as rape. Not everybody is in the right place to speak.
- If there is a local expert or a support organisation involved in the case, consider asking them if speaking to the media is likely to make things worse.
- However sensitive a male interviewer is, in the majority of cases a female victim is likely to feel safer when interviewed by an other woman; if that is not possible, a female colleague should be on hand.
- Be fair and realistic. Don’t coerce, cajole, trick or offer remuneration, and don’t suggest that giving an interview will bring more aid / military intervention.
Ask yourself whether approaching someone risks compromising his or her safety and privacy. In some societies, just being suspected of having been raped, can lead to humiliation, being ostracised, and even to further violence. Tread carefully and think about how and where you meet a potential source.
- Identify yourself clearly and never pretend not to be a journalist. Explaining the type of story you’re planning to write is likely to help build trust between you and the interviewee and result in better work.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Set good ground rules. Violent and abusive acts take control and power away from people, and so it is important to create a sense of safety during the interview. Try involving the interviewee in the decision-making: ask them if they can recommend a safe location and time.
- If you are using a translator, brief them on the fundamentals described here. Broadcast journalists should consider recording the interview in the interviewee’s own language and keeping the crew to a minimum.
- Let your interviewee know at the outset how much time it is likely to take. Cutting somebody short while they describing a traumatic experience without prior warning can cause deep hurt.
The secret to good interviewing is active, non-judgmental listening. That sounds simple, but it is a skill that requires time and effort to develop.
Don’t underestimate how your own reactions to traumatic detail can influence the conversation. If you are finding the material challenging, acknowledge that silently to yourself, and bring your focus back to what is being said. Usually just trying to listen a little harder, and observing the other’s facial expressions, body language, etc, helps. (The time to process the personal impact on the journalist is after the interview.)
Sexual violence is associated with high degrees of self-blame, guilt and shame. For this reason, avoid any language that might imply the interviewee is responsible in some way. Be careful of asking “why” questions - they are favoured by interrogators.
Don’t be surprised if accounts only make partial sense. Frequently survivors of sexual violence ‘shut down’ emotionally: their recall may become fragmentary, and in some cases they may even block out an event entirely. Incomplete and contradictory accounts are not prima facie evidence of deception, but rather of the struggle interviewees may experience in making sense of what happened to them.
Never say you know how they feel – you don’t. Instead, you could say, “I appreciate how difficult this is for you”.
End the interview well. After you have addressed the issues you need for your report, ask them if they would like to add anything else. And most importantly, make sure you bring the conversation back into the here and now and to the discussion of things that the interviewee finds safe.
From the jet engine to Kitty litter: the 85 most disruptive innovations
In 1958, Pan Am launched daily Boeing 707 service across the Atlantic. And that's considered the single most important invention of the past 85 years, at least according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
The publication turns 85 years old this month and to celebrate, they've released a list of the 85 most disruptive ideas in history.
"The fact that we are more interconnected globally than ever before is really the big story of the last 85 years," said Romesh Ratnesar, deputy editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. "The innovation that facilitated that more than anything else is the invention of the jet engine."
In addition to tech innovations you may expect – the Internet, email, the modem – the list also includes some surprising choices: name-brand jeans, Kitty litter, Jane Fonda's workout series.
It all hinges on the concept of how much an idea was disruptive to the status quo, said Ratnesar. At least, that was the goal of the list, which took about a year to compile.
"To find ideas that we felt were not just important, but in some fundamental way were transformative," said Ratnesar. "They changed the way business is done around the world, they changed our lives."
You can check out the full list of all 85 ideas, including in-depth articles from Bloomberg Businessweek, here.
From punk to mariachi: The story of Mariachi El Bronx
If you judged the band Mariachi El Bronx by their name, you might assume that they're likely a group of musicians from the Bronx, who've decided to spend their time covering mariachi - the music of their youth.
You'd be very wrong.
They're from Southern California and are better known as the punk band The Bronx, but as band members Matt Caughthran and Brad Magers explained to A Martinez, this newer iteration of the band lets them experiment with a sound that they always admired - Mariachi music.
Their latest album came out recently and the two members spoke about their influences, inspirations and what drove them to give mariachi music a try.