The Evolution of Journalism, with Katie Couric

About This Episode

On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson investigates the ever-changing world of journalism with world-renowned journalist Katie Couric, comic co-host Eugene Mirman, and journalism professor and creator of Buzz Machine Jeff Jarvis. You’ll hear about Katie’s early beginnings in journalism. We explore the traits necessary for being a good journalist. Learn about alternative media realities, confirmation bias, and the “vividness effect.” Examine the impact of the 24-hour news cycle on the public’s consumption of information, compared to the discreet news cycles that predated cable TV. Data journalist Mona Chalabi stops by to help us assess the influence of “fake news” on society, especially on Facebook. Discover more about the “devaluation of facts.” Katie also talks about her documentary Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric and the importance of highlighting human stories. We also hear about Katie’s choice to publicly discuss her husband’s battle with colon cancer in order to raise awareness about the disease. All that, plus, Neil gives us a cosmic perspective on finding objective truths. 

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: The Evolution of Journalism, with Katie Couric.