Journalism & Photojournalism

T.V. critic David Bianculli gives his analysis of "Dateline NBC," the new newsmagazine show hosted by Jane Pauley.

Dave Arnold uses a series of recordings to demonstrate different sound engineering techniques.

Cartoonist Dave Berg discusses his work and Mad Magazine.

As part of Fresh Air's AudioVisions series, sculptor JODY PINTO offers this untitled "radio-sculpture," which explores the line between interview and interrogation, and explores themes such as amputation and excavation. Pinto is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She is known for her installation pieces, which sometimes evoke strong feelings.

Journalists Donald Embinder, Jack Veasey, and George Bodamer join the show to discuss gay publications and gay life in Philadelphia.

Nat Hentoff joins the show via telephone to discuss his relationship with the late Charlie Mingus.

New York Times columnist Vincent Canby discusses the role of the film critic.

Ralph Flood speaks with two groups of protestors gathered at City Hall in Philadelphia. They oppose Jimmy Carter's 1979 budget proposal and the First Bank of Pennsylvania's support of Food Fair in spite of a strike, respectively.

Martin Williams is a jazz critic, writer, and academic. He currently works at the Smithsonian Institution. He discusses jazz criticism and the effect jazz has had on classical music. He also shares some of his favorite records.

Richard Ben Cramer, foreign affairs journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, has spent extensive time traveling to and reporting on the Middle East. He has reported on Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, and his stories often focus on individuals. He joins the show to discuss his work and the situation in the Middle East.

In light of the holiday season, Terry Gross talks with a reverend and a rabbi about their faith traditions and the role of religion in their lives and culture.

Deirdre English is an investigative journalist for Mother Jones magazine. She discusses her problems with the film Apocalypse Now, violence against women, pornography and the cultural impact of feminism.

Novelist Chaim Potok's most recent book, Wanderings, is a non-fiction history of Judaism. He talks about the tradition of the hybridization of Judaism with dominant cultures around the world, the exploration of identity in literature, and the trajectory of Western society.

Journalist Sidney Blumenthal argues that political strategists have replaced party bosses during election seasons. The former's job of creating a coherent and appealing media narrative for a candidate continues even after an election comes to an end.

Writer Todd Gitlin explains how media portrayed and often misrepresented the political activities of Students for a Democratic Society and other activist groups associated with the 1960s' New Left.

Ann Rule was a writer for True Crime magazine when she was assigned a story about a serial killer who turned out to be a former acquaintance of Rule's. Rule worked with Ted Bundy at a suicide prevention center. She had even reported suspicions about Bundy to police. Her account of Bundy's crimes and her time working with him is called "The Stranger Beside Me."

Clark DeLeon is the writer of the "Scene" column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. DeLeon joins the show to discuss his work as a columnist reporting on "unusual happenings" in the city.

Italian journalist and novelist Oriana Fallaci is known for her interviews with controversial political figures. Her latest work is about her former lover Alexandros Panagoulis, infamous for an attempt to assassinate a Greek dictator. Her book "A Man" covers his life and torture in prison, his enemies, and his death, which she believes to be a politically motivated murder. The book is partly fictionalized.

Rebecca Sinkler is the editor of the Sunday Book Page at the Philadelphia Inquirer. She recently published an article about the best books of 1980. Sinkler joins the show to discuss the trends of the year (a merging of fact and fiction, biography, and historical fiction), putting together a newspaper page, and the experiences that led her to criticism.

Desmond Ryan is the film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ernie Schier is the film critic for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, and Bill Van Wert is Fresh Air's film critic. They join the show to discuss their top ten lists for the best and worst films of 1980.