Viewpoints Radio
Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.
From former President John F. Kennedy to past Kennedy’s that have served as senators, ambassadors and in other high ranking government positions, the name today still signifies power and prestige. However, go back just three generations from JFK and the Kennedy’s were poor, Irish refugees who had just arrived on the shores of America. This week – we discuss …
We speak with Tim O’Brien who has illustrated numerous magazine covers throughout the years. O’Brien discusses his career, the history of illustration and how the art form is used to convey a specific, singular moment or feeling that other mediums may not be able to capture.
Federal student loan debt has ballooned in recent years. In 2007, debt totaled $642 billion dollars. Fourteen years later, this number has risen to close to $1.7 trillion. More than 43 million Americans have student loan debt, with the average person owing around $39,000.
The news of the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan has swept news headlines this month. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens have already fled the country, but how will everyday life change for those who remain? We discuss the precarious situation in the region and the reversal of modern freedoms and economic stability for millions of men, women …
Millions of Americans put off going to a doctor or hospital because they’re afraid of the high cost of care. Depending on your insurance, one MRI scan can cost upwards of a thousand dollars. One trip to the emergency room can mean thousands of dollars in charges that people can’t afford to pay. So, what’s driving these sky-high prices? How can people …
Baseball is back, and fans can once again revel in the experience of heading to a ballpark, grabbing some peanuts and cheering on their team as they score a homerun. Longtime baseball writer and faithful Phillies fan Timothy Malcolm joins Viewpoints this week to break down some of his favorite stadiums in the U.S. and some tips you should keep in mind before …
The first New York Times wedding announcement was published in 1851. We explore how this unique page has evolved over the years and the rat race some couples go through to get an announcement published at a prominent paper like The New York Times.
How often do you skim a headline and feel like that’s all you need to know? Or gather your daily news from a Twitter or Facebook feed? Economist & journalist Tim Harford joins Viewpoints this week to share the impacts of sensationalized or one-sided information and how we can all become more inquisitive consumers of content.
HBO’s new documentary Tiger chronicles the roller coaster golf career and personal life of Tiger Woods. Is It overhyped or worth the watch?
The field of private investigation is rapidly changing. And not entirely for the good. We speak with Tyler Maroney – a journalist turned private eye about the evolution of the industry and the role tech-savvy investigators play in influencing and providing transparency to governments, corporate entities, criminal justice lawyers and other sectors.
It seems like lately political news has hit an all-time high with all of the continuous impeachment coverage and campaign trail updates, including the start of the Iowa caucuses this week. While it’s important to be an informed citizen, are you putting all of this knowledge to use? Is it leading to change? Could you do something better with your time? We …
What would it be like to photograph a sitting president? Viewpoints Radio speaks with Lawrence Jackson who was an official White House photographer during the eight-year Obama administration. Through his unique position, he intimately witnessed every angle of the presidency from the historic to the chaotic.
It’s been almost 75 years since the end of World War II. With Veterans Day around the corner on Monday, November 11, we uncover some of the photographs taken from 1945, the final year of the conflict. These images show the sheer destruction caused by a war that lasted six years and cost millions and millions of lives. What was it like to be a U.S. Army …
Diversity in reporting is vital to news that showcases differing perspectives. We speak with Zahra Hankir, journalist and author of the new book, Our Women on the Ground, to learn more about some of the courageous female journalists who’ve risked their lives to report from within the Middle East during tumultuous periods. These women defy terrorists, the …
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be tough to start anew or slow down and reexamine what you’re working towards. We speak with journalist and author David Epstein who argues that switching focuses and developing a wide range of skillsets ultimately leads to greater success.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Mark Obmascik shares the incredible story of two men fighting for opposing sides and tangled in the complexities of World War II in his book The Storm on Our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War II.
Racial segregation still persists throughout the U.S. One factor contributing to this inequality is the structure of our towns and cities. Richard Rothstein and Tonika Johnson talk about how past laws and our government created a divided demographic and the impact this has on certain populations.
Investigative journalism is a necessity in a democracy. Independent journalists putting in long hours to serve as watch-dogs for our government can have long-lasting ramifications, just look at the impact Woodward and Bernstein made with their Watergate investigations. We talk to one expert about the current state of investigative journalism in America and …
While seasons one and two told the stories of specific, extraordinary cases, season three sets its sights on the mundane. This time, the team at This American Life and Serial took on telling the story of criminal justice in Cleveland over the course of a year. The reporters follow little cases: a bar fight, a drug bust, individuals who break parole. It tells …
'Fake news' has remained a headline mainstay for years now… but politicians seem to be skewing its meaning. We talk to two teachers about what is and isn’t fake news, and how they’re teaching students (and their parents!) how to see through the fiction.
Many of us have spent years dreaming of traveling the globe… but what should we do when we book the trip and are preparing to make the dream a reality? Journalist and author Andrew Solomon gives tips on how to get the most out of your trips, from embracing new cultures to establishing better connections.
After World War I, the city of Smyrna was set ablaze and people had to run to the beaches just to escape the flames. We’ll hear how governments and diplomats in the West all but ignored their plight, and how the efforts of one brave relief worker and a Navy commander finally brought the victims to safety.
Two educators give tips we can all use to identify lies online and keep ourselves informed by only the truth.
We talk to two writers about the more modern immigrant journey.
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