"Democracy Nerd" is a podcast that asks the question "How do we ensure a more perfect union?" This podcast shines a light on hidden and overt threats facing American democracy. Policy proposals and people-powered movements that help ensure a healthy democracy will be celebrated.
Behind the White House Curtain w/ Steven L. Herman
In this episode of "Democracy Nerd", host Jefferson Smith interviews Steven L. Herman--the Chief National Correspondent for Voice of America and the author of "Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist's Story of Covering the President--and Why It Matters"--about the importance of unbiased information to ensure a healthy and peaceful democracy.
Jefferson and Steven discuss the history and importance of Voice of America, a government-funded international broadcast platform, whose mission is to provide news and accurate information about the United States to global audiences, with an overall goal to promote understanding and goodwill between the U.S. and other countries.
To ensure Voice of America accomplishes its mission, a firewall is created to ensure political interference by presidential administrations on VOA's independent content doesn't occur. However, during the Trump presidency, attempts were made to politicize VOA's content. Steven emphasizes the importance of VOA to maintain independence from political influence and take the necessary steps to ensure its reporting remains objective and free from partisan bias.
Steven also discusses the difficulties faced by journalists who rely on social media to collect facts in an era of widespread disinformation and misinformation. Fact-checking and verifying info is an essential duty performed by journalists that fall by the wayside in a rush for breaking news or to spin events in support of a political agenda. Steven shared his experiences live Tweeting from Fukushima after the disastrous 2011 earthquake, and continued to regularly use Twitter for the next 15 years before receiving a lifetime ban in 2022.
Overall, this episode sheds light on the challenges journalists face in maintaining journalistic integrity, navigating social media, and ensuring accurate information reaches the public.
27 May 2024TRANSCRIPT
How the American Media Has Failed Democracy w/ Andrea Grimes
In this episode of "Democracy Nerd," Jefferson is joined by Andrea Grimes, an independent journalist whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Texas Observer, and DAME Magazine. The episode includes an in-depth discussion about the current state of American media and its role in safeguarding democracy, sparked by a recent statement from New York Times' Executive Editor Joe Kahn, who asserted that threats to democracy are "one" of the issues the Times will cover, though "not the only one."
Jefferson and Andrea critically examine whether the media is adequately fulfilling its democratic duty. They explore how the content of broadcast media often fails to reflect the true realities across the United States, highlighting the disconnect between what is reported and what is actually happening on the ground. This leads to a broader conversation about alternative media models that could better serve the public interest beyond the prevailing capitalist framework.
Andrea also provides an update of her home state of Texas, sharing stories of numerous engaged activists determined to drive change, embodying the spirit of "messing with Texas."
Jefferson and Andrea's discussion provides a thought-provoking dialogue on the intersection of media, politics, and grassroots activism, emphasizing the critical role that an informed and engaged citizenry plays in maintaining democratic principles.
20 May 2024TRANSCRIPT
Disinformation and the 2024 Presidential Election w/ David Gilbert
In this episode of "Democracy Nerd," host Jefferson Smith is joined by David Gilbert, a senior reporter for WIRED magazine specializing in disinformation and online extremism. As the 2024 presidential election looms, their conversation delves into the profound implications of disinformation and misinformation on democratic processes worldwide.
Gilbert explains the core differences between disinformation (deliberately false information spread to deceive) and misinformation (false information spread without harmful intent), and how both differ from propaganda. The discussion highlights the alarming inaction of social media platforms in addressing disinformation and misinformation campaigns. Despite the evident threat these campaigns pose, platforms are criticized for their lackluster response and insufficient guardrails.
Gilbert contrasts the capabilities of different state actors in executing misinformation campaigns, noting that Russia has been particularly adept compared to others like China. He discusses how these foreign influences further complicate the information landscape.
The conversation underscores the potential consequences of unchecked disinformation and misinformation, including the erosion of public trust in elections. Gilbert and Smith stress that the continuous onslaught of lies could lead to a scenario where the public loses its ability to discern truth from falsehood, threatening the very foundation of democracy, bringing to mind the line from the TV miniseries 'Chernobyl': "What is the cost of lies? It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all."
This episode provides a thorough examination of the current state of disinformation and misinformation, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2024 election, serving as a wake-up call about the urgent need for robust measures to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes against the backdrop of rampant online falsehoods.
Inside a recent episode
Behind the White House Curtain w/ Steven L. Herman
Published 11 Jun 2024 · Transcript excerpt
[…] This was passed by Congress in the Gerald Ford administration. And I can tell you everybody I know at VOA takes this very very seriously. We write a story. It goes through a set of editors. And then if it involves anything of a political nature, it goes through a third editor called a balance editor. […]
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