On the Media
WNYC Studios
On the Media is a weekly show that uses the media as a lens to understand our world. On the Media listeners say the show is an essential companion, helping them survive the firehose of media coming at them 24/7. Hosted by Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger, the show does not do ‘hot takes’, instead offering listeners context, historical parallels, media analysis and often a much appreciated deep exhale. On the Media hosts have an eye on the nuances and details regularly missed by other outlets which helps listeners understand where they should be paying attention (and what they can afford to ignore). Our media diets have untruths woven in, and inconvenient truths left out. These are the bits explored every week at On the Media.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 13, 2026 • 24min
How "Economic Blindness" Is Obscuring Our Financial Reality
Bryan Walsh, senior editorial director at Vox and editor of Future Perfect, covers long-term risks and public policy. He explores the mismatch between market signals and on-the-ground economic pain. He narrates why slow, diffuse threats get ignored and how storytelling and attention to tail risks can pierce collective blind spots.
9 snips
May 8, 2026 • 51min
The Psychology of Sticking Your Head in the Sand. Plus, Ep. 2 of American Emergency.
Marty Bamunde, a FEMA public affairs official who was on the ground during Hurricane Katrina, and Bryan Walsh, Vox senior editorial director who covers climate and economics. They explore why markets can ignore worsening realities and the biases behind that blindness. They also recount Katrina’s on-the-ground failures, how warnings were missed, and what that did to FEMA’s reputation.
22 snips
May 6, 2026 • 16min
Trump's Glitzy Library Grift
Timothy Naftali, a historian who has directed presidential libraries, discusses Trump's skyscraper-style Miami library and its use as a fundraising vehicle. He outlines how libraries can become venues for influence and deal-making. The conversation covers legal fights over presidential records, risks of privatized archives, and proposals to increase transparency around library donations.
33 snips
May 1, 2026 • 52min
American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA
Leo Bosner, a retired FEMA official and flood insurance specialist, and Garrett Graff, a journalist and author on continuity-of-government, unpack FEMA’s strange Cold War origins and secret continuity plans. They discuss how secrecy birthed FEMA-camp conspiracies. They also trace reforms that professionalized disaster response and recent controversies over funding for detention facilities.
18 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 36min
How a Prison Fire Helped Create CBS News
A. Brad Schwartz, historian and author of Broadcast Hysteria, discusses the 1930 Ohio Penitentiary fire and its shocking live radio coverage. He recounts Otto “Deacon” Gardner’s eyewitness broadcast, how local reporting was patched to a national feed, and how the moment pushed CBS from entertainment toward serious news.
11 snips
Apr 24, 2026 • 51min
Grab Your Tin Foil Hat for The Onion's Takeover of Infowars
Amy Goodman, veteran independent journalist and Democracy Now! co-founder, reflects on four decades of investigative reporting. David Gilbert, Wired reporter on disinformation, unpacks MAGA backlash to Trump’s AI image and online conspiracy trends. They dig into religious politics, shifting loyalties, and The Onion’s takeover of InfoWars, plus plans to repurpose the site into comedy.
Apr 22, 2026 • 18min
Predicting the News
Judd Legum, founder of Popular Information and investigative reporter on politics and media. He explores the rise of prediction markets and why newsrooms are partnering with them. He discusses market manipulation risks, insider advantages, regulatory gaps, and the ethical cost of turning serious news into bets.
33 snips
Apr 18, 2026 • 50min
Influencers Usher In A New Era For #MeToo
Ivan Nagy, Hungarian political journalist and Delacorte Fellow, on reporting under Orban, surveillance of reporters, and Hungary’s surprise political shift. Melanie Mason, POLITICO’s California bureau chief, on how influencers and a whisper network surfaced allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell and what that moment means for MeToo’s next phase.
34 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 43min
Planet Money Wrote a Book And Then Dissected The Business of Publishing!
Tom Mayer, executive editor at W.W. Norton, talks acquisition strategy and publishing economics. Alex Goldmark, executive producer of Planet Money, explains why the show pursued a book and how big decisions were made. They walk through proposal crafting, auctions, publisher competition, and production planning in short, lively segments.
29 snips
Apr 11, 2026 • 51min
Trump’s “Madman Theory” Is on Full Display in Iran
Bill Scher, politics editor at Washington Monthly, gives a quick take on Trump’s use of Nixon’s 'Madman' tactic. Katie Thornton, reporter who tracked shortwave radio and WBCQ, recounts mysterious Persian broadcasts and how a tiny Maine station beams extreme and religious programming worldwide. They discuss rhetoric, risks in Iran, and the surprising reach of shortwave transmissions.
