The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

Data doesn’t always expose and explain, it can also lead us astray. OTM producer Jamie York looks at two time in the recent past when an overreliance on data has had disastrous consequences. Joe Flood, author of The Fires and Dennis Smith, author and veteran firefighter tell the story of the RAND Corporation and the fires in the Bronx in the 1970’s.  And Scott Patterson, author of The Quants and Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short, explain how math and science whiz kids nearly destroyed Wall Street.

After decades of being one of the most oppressive and isolated countries in the world, Myanmar (also known as Burma) has abruptly changed course.  In just the last year, the vestiges of a military junta who run the country have allowed for free elections, freedom of speech and, increasingly, freedom of the press.  On the occasion of elections in April that saw opposition candidate Aung San Suu Kyi elected, we asked Phnom Penh-based journalist Brendan Brady to travel to Yangon and report on how one veteran reporter is handling the rapid change.  Brendan brought back a radio piece, photographs and a video (which he produced with Adam Kaufman) that provide a fascinating look at a new paradigm for Burmese media.

The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

Brooke Gladstone and producer Sarah Abdurrahman are in Mexico and today Brooke took some time out from recording next week's show to speak with WNYC's Brian Lehrer.  Listen to a preview of what Brooke and OTM will be exploring next week on the show.

The staff of On the Media choose a few of our favorite things. Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of On the Media choose a few of our favorite things. Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The OTM staff choose a few of our favorite things.  Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

New data radically revises what we know about our 'secret' war in Cambodia.

A new documentary ‘Under African Skies’ is out that revisits Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland.  The film (which I haven’t seen) reunites Simon with some of the contributing musicians and wades back into the political controversy surrounding the recording of the album, its runaway success and the subsequent tour. 

The OTM staff choose a few of our favorite things.  Please, please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM again pick a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM again choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM again choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

The staff of OTM pick a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy.

In the past, OTM has looked at the myriad ways that local TV news bend and finesse the ethical standards that most journalism outlets try to uphold.  We’ve looked at health reporting, how local news cover local politicians (or don't) and video news releases – advertising in news clothing.  Still, nothing quite prepared us for this. 

The staff of OTM choose a few of our favorite things.  Please leave us comments below and enjoy!