June 7, 2018 9:52 pm

Friday, Investigate the Evolution of Journalism with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Katie Couric, Eugene Mirman, Jeff Jarvis, and Mona Chalabi

This week on StarTalk Radio, we step into the ever-changing world of journalism. Neil deGrasse Tyson is joined by world-renowned journalist Katie Couric to discuss her unique career and her thoughts on the ever-evolving industry. In-studio, Neil is joined by comic co-host Eugene Mirman and returning guest, journalist Jeff Jarvis.

We explore Katie’s early beginnings in journalism and what made her gravitate towards the profession. You’ll hear about the change from distinct news cycles to a 24-hour news cycle and its impact on public information consumption.

Discover more about alternative media realities, confirmation bias, and the “vividness effect.” You’ll find out more about the “news bubbles” in which people now center themselves, leaving no room for debate – which is a foundational element of democracy. You’ll also find out more about the “devaluation of facts.” Later on, data journalist Mona Chalabi stops by to help us assess the severity with which “fake news” has influenced our lives, especially on Facebook.

I originally intended on becoming a journalist before I had an epiphany around the same ideas that this episode covers. Local news can find it challenging to support itself on its current business model. So, to survive, shock value, violence, and danger is what it sells. And who would want to work in a business where that’s what you report on all day?

Lastly, we discuss Katie’s documentary, Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, which looks at the gender conversation in society. Katie highlights the importance of human-based stories and how she publicly discussed her husband’s battle with colon cancer to help bring attention to a disease about which, at that point, people knew very little.

Please join us tomorrow night for The Evolution of Journalism, with Katie Couric at 7pm ET right here on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you’re an All-Access subscriber, you can watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too.

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
–Ian Mullen