blogs

Discussions on the future of journalism are happening so often now that they're almost trite. But Robert McChesney, John Nichols, Tracy Van Slyke and Kate Giammarise are not only interested in saving journalism; they're interested in having all of us have a say. Nichols and McChesney have a new book out, The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again that documents the decline of the commercial press and makes the case for publicly-funded media, and Van Slyke has a book out as well, co-authored with Jessica Clark, Beyond the Echo Chamber: How a Networked Progressive Media Can Reshape American Politics, documenting the rise of a new media culture. Giammarise is featured in Nichols and McChesney's book and since being laid off from the Toledo Blade has founded Rustwire.com. Brave New Films takes a look at the ongoing complaints about budget deficits, and the way the war in Afghanistan has overextended spending in one area and forced Obama to cut spending on desperately needed domestic programs. Julian Zelizer, Princeton professor, joins us to talk about his new book, Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security - From World War II to the War on Terrorism. He lays out a history of national security policy in the U.S. and makes the point that bipartisanship has largely always been a myth here. Obama, he suggests, should take a lesson or two from the past. Meanwhile, in Canada, the controversy over troops in Afghanistan, prisoner abuse, and torture has come to a head: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has shut down the Parliament in a move known as prorogation, and his opponents accuse him of doing so to avoid the torture inquiries. This video from the Real News Network takes a look at Harper's moves, and the growing popular movement against his power grab. Carvens Lissaint is a Haitian-American poet and performer from New York City. Here he performs his poem, "Haiti," written a year ago, with a startling prophetic tone in the wake of recent tragic events in Haiti. Thanks to Every Drop Counts for the video. Finally, the health care bill might be in limbo in Congress, but YO! Youth Outlook took to the streets in San Francisco to remind all of us how many people still need coverage.