Bob Garfield

Bob Garfield appears in the following:

The Public Editor Says Goodbye

Friday, May 13, 2016

Margaret Sullivan has just wrapped up four years as the public editor for The New York Times. Was she able to change practices at the paper of record?

Trending Topics

Friday, May 13, 2016

What's worse: an algorithm controlling the news you see, or humans? Plus, being public editor; normalizing Trump; and when Anthony Weiner ran for mayor.

The Puerto Rican Debt Narrative

Friday, May 06, 2016

US lawmakers are grappling with what to do about Puerto Rico's debt crisis, raising uncomfortable questions about the mainland's role in the island's plight.

Hillary and the Trolls

Friday, April 29, 2016

An FEC loophole allows super PACs to coordinate with campaigns if they aren't spending money. A pro-Clinton group is using that loophole to post comments online.

The "Corrupt Bargain" That Started It All

Friday, April 29, 2016

Prior to 1824, the idea that the masses might not have much of a say in the selection of their president wasn't particularly controversial. One "corrupt bargain" changed all that.

The Guardian Scrapes the Bottom of the Comments Barrel

Friday, April 29, 2016

What The Guardian learned from sifting through the 70 million comments left on its site since 2006. 

Another Confirmation Crisis

Friday, April 15, 2016

The Clarence Thomas hearings that riveted the country for 3 days in 1991 are being televised again in a dramatized form by HBO, at a similar time of political crisis over a nomination. 

Merkel's Free Speech Dilemma

Friday, April 15, 2016

It will come as no surprise that in Turkey, you can be jailed for insulting President Erdogan. What is shocking is that a critic of Erdogan could be charged with that crime in Germany.

NPR U OK?

Friday, April 15, 2016

Bob considers what the future might hold for NPR. 

The Counterintuitive Conspiracy of the Panama Papers

Friday, April 08, 2016

Conspiracy theorists are poring through the Panama Papers, but not for the reasons you might think. The revelations, many say, are just a distraction -- or targeted.

A Global Newsroom Digs Through the Panama Papers

Friday, April 08, 2016

How did 400 journalists from nearly 80 countries go through the world's largest data leak? Very carefully.

The Posthumous Fame of Chantal Akerman

Friday, April 01, 2016

As a multi-city retrospective of late director Chantal Akerman's 40 plus films launches, can Akerman achieve in death the fame she hoped for in life? 

Fighting FOIA With FOIA

Friday, April 01, 2016

A reporter uses FOIA to expose how Obama's self-proclaimed "most transparent administration in history" has tried to kill FOIA reform. 

'Momentum' By Any Other Name...

Friday, April 01, 2016

Every election, you hear a lot about a candidate having or losing "momentum." What does it mean? Almost anything, and therefore nothing.

Cuba's Advertising Challenge

Friday, March 25, 2016

The Cuban constitution bans the use of media to promote capitalism. This means Cuban business owners have to get creative when it comes to advertising. 

The Paradox and Consequence of Declaring 'Genocide'

Friday, March 25, 2016

The US government has only used the word 'genocide' twice in response to an ongoing conflict, the most recent declaration was on March 17. It's a momentous act. But what does it mean?

The Dismantling of Press Freedoms in Turkey

Friday, March 25, 2016

A government crackdown on free speech has reached new depths in Turkey, with reporters muzzled and newspapers shuttered or seized by the government. 

Who Are Trump Supporters?

Friday, March 18, 2016

Outright racists? The disaffected working class? Astute political subversives? The media struggles to explain the Trump insurgency. 

A New Low for China's Press Freedoms?

Friday, March 18, 2016

China has not been known for a robust, independent press. But a crackdown from the government has made it official: state-run news outlets are now mouthpieces for the Communist Party. 

Why Is Amazon Opening Physical Bookstores?

Friday, March 11, 2016

In November 2015, Amazon opened a bookstore in Seattle, potentially the first of many. Could physical bookshops hold the key to the retailer's digital strategy?