Podcasts about merrill brown

How should the Life Sciences industry think about content development in our rapidly changing world of digital transformation and AI? Learn from one of the nation's top media experts, Merrill Brown, who has been at the forefront of digital content innovation at a global scale for the last three decades. From his early days as a beat reporter at the Washington Post, through to his most recent role as editorial director of G/O Media -- parent company of the Onion, Gizmodo and much more -- hear how the news industry has evolved -- and get a media guru's insights on how to deliver meaningful and impactful content to your stakeholders and customers.Merrill was our keynote guest at our inaugural Aktana Innovation Xchange (AIx) on September 26th in New York City. Our live AIx audience got an inside peek in this lively fireside chat of what really happens in the leading newsrooms in the world. We hope you enjoy this entertaining and informative discussion -- and don't miss hearing "Merrill in Context" when we learn what historical figure, Merrill, as a renowned journalist, would most like to interview.

A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: It is amazing but true: the coverage of the Biden document story by Fox News has been more restrained and responsible than has CNN's. The desperate attempt to position the Think Tank Papers story  as one that - in the words of a CNN commentator - "almost exonerates" Trump, continued last night. The raw numbers are startling: between 5 and 11 PM ET Monday, MSNBC gave the story 14 minutes, Fox News gave it 29 minutes, and CNN gave it 107 MINUTES. Three and a half times as much as Fox! And the worst perpetrator of CNN's willingness to literally lie to its viewers has been Anderson Cooper. The first words out of his mouth last night were how quote “President Biden's first public statement on the classified documents uncovered at his former private office” were 'breaking news.' I suggested in real time that if Cooper had any remaining self-respect he would quit before his program was over. He didn't. He doesn't. There is much more than money to what CNN's new fascist troika - Chris Licht, David Zaslav, and John Malone - is doing. This is the Clinton-Lewinsky night-after-night brainwash play: convince America that if Biden is not guilty, Trump is not guilty. And having sold their souls, they will keep pushing this as long as we don't stop them. B-Block (18:45) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Poor Mike Pompeo couldn't get anybody to blurb his book so he had to do it himself. He competes with a climate denier who insists if we reinstate wind power we will automatically reinstate The Atlantic Slave Trade, and the nimrods like Tomi Lahren who complained that Ukraine's president went to Hollywood for the Golden Globes last night - even though he didn't. (23:58) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL No. 1: The perfidy of using cable news to brainwash didn't start with Chris Licht. I was there the day the Chairman of GE was ready to shut down MSNBC because his Mommy the Bill O'Reilly fan believed her son was building IEDs to kill America because Fox told her so. C-Block (41:55) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL No. 2: My first experience with the ad salesmen who pretend to be cable's journalistic decision-makers came even before my first MSNBC show in 1997. That's when the big meeting with the man Microsoft thought shared editorial control of MSNBC was to meet with me, and NBC's execs were worried about only one thing: how effectively I ignored him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DOJ'S LATE NIGHT FILING AGAINST TRUMP A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT. I wonder if Trump has ever heard of Victor Marchetti? He will now. The Government's 1975 court victory over him defined who has to prove a Classified Document is STILL a Classified Document - and it ain't the government. The Justice Department with a killer filing in its appeal of the Special Master ruling (3:55) Even as the Special Master comes down on Trump like a ton of bricks. His insistence those are HIS documents because he declassified some of them but he can't tell you which ones or when, is attacked by Special Master Dearie (4:10) Who says "You can't have your cake and eat it too." Didn't somebody we all know use that same phrase yesterday? YES I DID. (6:03) If you think Trump's lawyers are nitwits, wait'll you hear Alina Habba not understand why it's called an OCTOBER Surprise (6:45) Trump also makes a dumb analogy about the search of his bedroom (7:40) While New York's Attorney General may be ready to move (8:00) And three of the asylum seekers DeSantis human-trafficked have filed a class action suit against him and he's reduced to using the phrase "Onesie-Twosies" (10:34) And Trump's desperate neediness leads to one of the greatest Owns in Twitter history: Greg Proops flattens Maggie Haberman for all time. B-Block (14:35) EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY: Hooch (16:00) POSTSCRIPTS TO THE NEWS: Ron Johnson "condones" white supremacy; Bret "Mr. Journalist" Baier tried to get the Fox Arizona call retracted; Tucker Carlson may get more people hurt. (18:50) IN SPORTS: 60 homers for Judge, the passing of Maury Wills, three NHL vets retire (21:30) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: The 1776 Restoration Movement scumbags compete with Ronna McDaniel and a ton of Fentanyl for Halloween, and the Australian TV hosts covering the Queen's funeral, for the honors. C-Block (26:45) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: 25 years since the head of the NBC part of MSNBC told me to ignore the head of the MS part of MSNBC. Andy Lack said they "were only supposed to give us money and computer terminals! Don't tell ME that we have to 'synergize' cable television and the internet - whatever the hell the internet is!"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minter Dialogue Episode #289 Merrill Brown is founder and CEO of The News Project, a startup helping to make news and news rooms better and more affordable. With a deep background in media, Merrill has been involved as a board member or adviser of many notable organisations, including GoLocal24 and the City University of NY Graduate School of Journalism. He's also Principal at MMB Media, a strategic and management consulting firm for media and digital businesses. In this conversation, we look at the News Project, the challenges and opportunities for media companies, how brands could be taking advantage or adopting the same mindset and much more. Meanwhile, please send me your questions as an audio file (or normal email) to nminterdial@gmail.com; or you can find the show notes and comment on minterdial.com. If you liked the podcast, please take a moment to go over to iTunes to rate/review the podcast. Otherwise, you can find me @mdial on Twitter. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/minterdial)

Merrill Brown joins this episode as our featured guest. After almost 5 years at the helm of Montclair State University's brand new School of Communication, he is leaving this position next month. Brown is an educator, consultant, investor, veteran media executive and journalist.  Merrill has worked at The Saint Louis Dispatch, The Winston-Salem Sentinel, The Washington Star and Washington Post … so it’s fair to say he is still very much a champion of print media. He calls print journalism and local journalism a key to a democracy. Prior to joining Montclair State, Merrill launched and was Editor-In- Chief of MSNBC’s website – which he also founded -- and a founding member of the team that launched Court TV. He understands the fast-paced environment of today’s newsrooms and the need for multimedia journalists to join the ranks, a vision he brought to Montclair State. Engineer: Kristie Keleshian Producer: Avery Federico & Juan Contla Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

David Brancaccio, host and senior editor of the Marketplace Morning Report broadcast on public radio and at marketplace.org joins Merrill Brown to discuss business and media in a Trump presidency. You may also know David as the former anchor of the television news program “Now on PBS.” He does a podcast titled Esquire Classic with Esquire Magazine where he explores the most memorable non-fiction pieces in the magazine’s archive. In over forty years of broadcasting, David has traveled the world covering stories and his work has earned him the highest honors in broadcast journalism including a Peabody, an Emmy, the Columbia-duPont and the Walter Cronkite awards. Engineer: Samantha Williams Producer: Nicholas Carras Social Media: Thomas Formoso Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

This week on StoryWeb: Solomon Northup’s book Twelve Years a Slave. Though slave narratives were widely read in the antebellum United States (and in fact were one of the most popular genres at that time), they are mostly read now primarily in American history and literature classes. My mother-in-law, Eileen Rebman, taught a variety of slave narratives for many years in her high school AP American history classes, and I regularly taught Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself as well as Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. In graduate school, I had the great fortune of taking a course on American autobiography taught by William L. Andrews, author of To Tell a Free Story: The First Century of Afro-American Autobiography, 1760-1865. In his class and in his book, Andrews provided outstanding insights into this genre unique to American letters. Slave narratives – written solely to end the practice of slavery – were not just polemical, says Andrews, but were also human, compelling, gripping. The best slave narratives made the reader sit up and take notice, care about the people whose stories were being told, and recognize their humanity. “Am I not a man and a brother?” asked one well-known abolitionist emblem. The ultimate goal of virtually every slave narrative was to inspire the reader to join the abolitionist cause. One such slave narrative was Solomon Northup’s 1853 volume, Twelve Years a Slave. Northup, a free black man living in Saratoga Springs, New York, was kidnapped by slave catchers and sold into a particularly brutal slave system in Louisiana. Though Northup was not as wealthy as the 2013 film adaptation suggests, the contrast between his life as a free man and his life as a slave was stark indeed. His book – ghostwritten by David Wilson, a white abolitionist – depicts the horror of being captured and sold into slavery and the utter degradation of slavery as Northup experienced it. Twelve Years a Slave was hugely popular in its day, selling 30,000 copies in three years. It followed quickly on the heels of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In fact, Twelve Years a Slave is dedicated to Stowe. Northup was a slave on a plantation near the one owned by Stowe’s fictional Simon Legree. When Stowe followed up with a second volume, The Key to Uncle’s Tom Cabin, she cited Northup’s narrative as proof that slavery was indeed as bad as she had portrayed in her novel. But in the years after his book was published, Northup disappeared from view, and nothing is known of how his life ended. After the Civil War, his book, like so many slave narratives, fell out of circulation. It was not until 1968 that the book resurfaced, in a scholarly version co-edited by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon. Through their expert sleuthing, Eakin and Logsdon were able to verify the accuracy of Northup’s account. Scholars and teachers of American history and literature, like my mother-in-law, took note of Northup’s slave narrative and incorporated it in their classes. But it was not until director Steve McQueen stumbled across the book that it would become well known to the general public. McQueen said: “I read this book, and I was totally stunned. At the same time I was pretty upset with myself that I didn't know this book. I live in Amsterdam where Anne Frank is a national hero, and for me this book read like Anne Frank's diary but written 97 years before – a firsthand account of slavery. I basically made it my passion to make this book into a film.” In the film, Chiwetel Ejiofor, an English actor, plays Solomon Northup, bringing to life this man’s unusual story. Lupita Nyong’o, who hails from Kenya, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Patsey, a slave on the plantation. Perhaps her most memorable scene is the one in which she risks everything to obtain and smuggle onto the plantation a small piece of soap. When she is caught, she pleads with her owner, saying, “I stink so much I make myself gag!” The punishment that is meted out to her is brutal indeed, brought to the screen powerfully by black British director Steve McQueen and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. This is a hard movie to watch, and I don’t recommend it lightly. But if you can stomach the graphic violence (which is always essential to the story, never gratuitous), I think you will find that the film does an outstanding job of portraying the bitter realities of slavery. Indeed, the film was shot on location at four Louisiana plantations, including Magnolia, which is located near the actual plantation where Northup was enslaved. Aisha Harris’s Slate article “The Tricky Questions Raised by a Complicated Genre: The Slave Narrative” puts Twelve Years a Slave in a rich context. An outstanding article in Vanity Fair, “’What’ll Become of Me?’ Finding the Real Patsey of 12 Years a Slave,” traces author Katie Calautti’s journey to find out what ultimately happened to Patsey, whose story Northup tells with such depth in his book. Many additional resources on the slave narrative and the resulting film can be found at the Reel American History website; see the bottom of the page on “filmic context” for particularly useful links. The National Endowment for the Humanities’ EDSITEment website offers a detailed series of lesson plans on Twelve Years a Slave and the genre of slave narratives. Even if you’re not a teacher, you’ll find these lesson plans and the related resources very helpful in understanding Northup’s book. Of special note is Andrews’s essay “Solomon Northup’s ‘Twelve Years a Slave’ and the Slave Narrative Tradition.” Andrews writes, The autobiographies of people of African descent who were subjected to the peculiar injustices of American slavery testify to the best and the worst of which the United States of America as a nation is capable. Reading the great slave narratives of U.S. history, we discover unimaginable depravity in the institution and in many who perpetrated it—but we also find inspiration from the fortitude and faith of those who endured enslavement, overcame it, and wrote about it. The most powerful stories in the slave narrative tradition are invariably the ones that have been proven to be verifiably true. The fact that they reflect our nation’s history in a unique and compelling way makes these narratives essential reading for anyone who wants to know who we as Americans truly are. He adds, “Although often dismissed as mere antislavery propaganda, the widespread consumption of slave narratives in the nineteenth-century U.S. and Great Britain and their continuing prominence today testify to the power of these texts to provoke reflection and debate.” You can hear more from Andrews by listening to Robert Siegel’s interview with him on All Things Considered, in which Andrews discusses the differences between Northup’s 1853 slave narrative and McQueen’s 2013 film. If you’re ready to explore Twelve Years a Slave, you can read the entire narrative at the University of North Carolina’s Documenting the American South website, or you can buy Eakin and Logsdon’s excellent edition. And of course, McQueen’s film richly deserved the Best Picture and the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar awards it received. The legacy of slavery – and the lingering wounds of racism – remain with us today. Perhaps this is a large part of why the film was both commercially successfully and critically acclaimed. It is a story we still don’t understand, still can’t bear to watch with eyes and hearts wide open. Visit thestoryweb.com/northup for links to all these resources and to watch Lupita Nyong’o as the slave Patsey reveal that she has gone to another plantation to obtain soap to wash herself. Listen now as I read the second chapter of Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave, in which he describes being kidnapped by slave catchers.   One morning, towards the latter part of the month of March, 1841, having at that time no particular business to engage my attention, I was walking about the village of Saratoga Springs, thinking to myself where I might obtain some present employment, until the busy season should arrive. Anne, as was her usual custom, had gone over to Sandy Hill, a distance of some twenty miles, to take charge of the Culinary department at Sherrill's Coffee House, during the session of the court. Elizabeth, I think, had accompanied her. Margaret and Alonzo were with their aunt at Saratoga. On the corner of Congress street and Broadway near the tavern, then, and for aught I know to the contrary, still kept by Mr. Moon, I was met by two gentlemen of respectable appearance, both of whom were entirely unknown to me. I have the impression that they were introduced to me by some one of my acquaintances, but who, I have in vain endeavored to recall, with the remark that I was an expert player on the violin. At any rate, they immediately entered into conversation on that subject, making numerous inquiries touching my proficiency in that respect. My responses being to all appearances satisfactory, they proposed to engage my services for a short period, stating, at the same time, I was just such a person as their business required. Their names, as they afterwards gave them to me, were Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton, though whether these were their true appellations, I have strong reasons to doubt. The former was a man apparently forty years of age, somewhat short and thick-set, with a countenance indicating shrewdness and intelligence. He wore a black frock coat and black hat, and said he resided either at Rochester or at Syracuse. The latter was a young man of fair complexion and light eyes, and, I should judge, had not passed the age of twenty-five. He was tall and slender, dressed in a snuff-colored coat, with glossy hat, and vest of elegant pattern. His whole apparel was in the extreme of fashion. His appearance was somewhat effeminate, but prepossessing and there was about him an easy air, that showed he had mingled with the world. They were connected, as they informed me, with a circus company, then in the city of Washington; that they were on their way thither to rejoin it, having left it for a short time to make an excursion northward, for the purpose of seeing the country, and were paying their expenses by an occasional exhibition. They also remarked that they had found much difficulty in procuring music for their entertainments, and that if I would accompany them as far as New-York, they would give me one dollar for each day's services, and three dollars in addition for every night I played at their performances, besides sufficient to pay the expenses of my return from New-York to Saratoga. I at once accepted the tempting offer, both for the reward it promised, and from a desire to visit the metropolis. They were anxious to leave immediately. Thinking my absence would be brief, I did not deem it necessary to write to Anne whither I had gone; in fact supposing that my return, perhaps, would be as soon as hers. So taking a change of linen and my violin, I was ready to depart. The carriage was brought round—a covered one, drawn by a pair of noble bays, altogether forming an elegant establishment. Their baggage, consisting of three large trunks, was fastened on the rack, and mounting to the driver's seat, while they took their places in the rear, I drove away from Saratoga on the road to Albany, elated with my new position, and happy as I had ever been, on any day in all my life. We passed through Ballston, and striking the ridge road, as it is called, if my memory correctly serves me, followed it direct to Albany. We reached that city before dark, and stopped at a hotel southward from the Museum. This night I had an opportunity of witnessing one of their performances—the only one, during the whole period I was with them. Hamilton was stationed at the door; I formed the orchestra, while Brown provided the entertainment. It consisted in throwing balls, dancing on the rope, frying pancakes in a hat, causing invisible pigs to squeal, and other like feats of ventriloquism and legerdemain. The audience was extraordinarily sparse, and not of the selectest character at that, and Hamilton's report of the proceeds but a "beggarly account of empty boxes." Early next morning we renewed our journey. The burden of their conversation now was the expression of an anxiety to reach the circus without delay. They hurried forward, without again stopping to exhibit, and in due course of time, we reached New-York, taking lodgings at a house on the west side of the city, in a street running from Broadway to the river. I supposed my journey was at an end, and expected in a day or two at least, to return to my friends and family at Saratoga. Brown and Hamilton, however, began to importune me to continue with them to Washington. They alleged that immediately on their arrival, now that the summer season was approaching, the circus would set out for the north. They promised me a situation and high wages if I would accompany them. Largely did they expatiate on the advantages that would result to me, and such were the flattering representations they made, that I finally concluded to accept the offer. The next morning they suggested that, inasmuch as we were about entering a slave State, it would be well, before leaving New-York, to procure free papers. The idea struck me as a prudent one, though I think it would scarcely have occurred to me, had they not proposed it. We proceeded at once to what I understood to be the Custom House. They made oath to certain facts showing I was a free man. A paper was drawn up and handed us, with the direction to take it to the clerk's office. We did so, and the clerk having added something to it, for which he was paid six shillings, we returned again to the Custom House. Some further formalities were gone through with before it was completed, when, paying the officer two dollars, I placed the papers in my pocket, and started with my two friends to our hotel. I thought at the time I must confess, that the papers were scarcely worth the cost of obtaining them—the apprehension of danger to my personal safety never having suggested itself to me in the remotest manner. The clerk, to whom we were directed, I remember, made a memorandum in a large book, which, I presume, is in the office yet. A reference to the entries during the latter part of March, or first of April, 1841, I have no doubt will satisfy the incredulous, at least so far as this particular transaction is concerned. With the evidence of freedom in my possession, the next day after our arrival in New-York, we crossed the ferry to Jersey City, and took the road to Philadelphia. Here we remained one night, continuing our journey towards Baltimore early in the morning. In due time, we arrived in the latter city, and stopped at a hotel near the railroad depot, either kept by a Mr. Rathbone, or known as the Rathbone House. All the way from New-York, their anxiety to reach the circus seemed to grow more and more intense. We left the carriage at Baltimore, and entering the cars, proceeded to Washington, at which place we arrived just at nightfall, the evening previous to the funeral of General Harrison, and stopped at Gadsby's Hotel, on Pennsylvania Avenue. After supper they called me to their apartments, and paid me forty-three dollars, a sum greater than my wages amounted to, Which act of generosity was in consequence, they said, of their not having exhibited as often as they had given me to anticipate, during our trip from Saratoga. They moreover informed me that it had been the intention of the circus company to leave Washington the next morning, but that on account of the funeral, they had concluded to remain another day. They were then, as they had been from the time of our first meeting, extremely kind. No opportunity was omitted of addressing me in the language of approbation; while, on the other hand, I was certainly much prepossessed in their favor. I gave them my confidence without reserve, and would freely have trusted them to almost any extent. Their constant conversation and manner towards me—their foresight in suggesting the idea of free papers, and a hundred other little acts, unnecessary to be repeated— all indicated that they were friends indeed, sincerely solicitous for my welfare. I know not but they were. I know not but they were innocent of the great wickedness of which I now believe them guilty. Whether they were accessory to my misfortunes—subtle and inhuman monsters in the shape of men—designedly luring me away from home and family, and liberty, for the sake of gold—those these read these pages will have the same means of determining as myself If they were innocent, my sudden disappearance must have been unaccountable indeed; but revolving in my mind all the attending circumstances, I never yet could indulge, towards them, so charitable a supposition. After receiving the money from them, of which they appeared to have an abundance, they advised me not to go into the streets that night, inasmuch as I was unacquainted with the customs of the city. Promising to remember their advice, I left them together, and soon after was shown by a colored servant to a sleeping room in the back part of the hotel, on the ground floor. I laid down to rest, thinking of home and wife, and children, and the long distance that stretched between us, until I fell asleep. But no good angel of pity came to my bedside, bidding me to fly—no voice of mercy forewarned me in my dreams of the trials that were just at hand. The next day there was a great pageant in Washington. The roar of cannon and the tolling of bells filled the air, while many houses were shrouded with crape, and the streets were black with people. As the day advanced, the procession made its appearance, coming slowly through the Avenue, carriage after carriage, in long succession, while thousands upon thousands followed on foot—all moving to the sound of melancholy music. They were bearing the dead body of Harrison to the grave. From early in the morning, I was constantly in the company of Hamilton and Brown. They were the only persons I knew in Washington. We stood together as the funeral pomp passed by. I remember distinctly how the window glass would break and rattle to the ground, after each report of the cannon they were firing in the burial ground. We went to the Capitol, and walked a long time about the grounds. In the afternoon, they strolled towards the President's House, all the time keeping me near to them, and pointing out various places of interest. As yet, I had seen nothing of the circus. In fact, I had thought of it but little, if at all, amidst the excitement of the day. My friends, several times during the afternoon, entered drinking saloons, and called for liquor. They were by no means in the habit, however, so far as I knew them, of indulging to excess. On these occasions, after serving themselves, they would pour out a glass and hand it to me. I did not become intoxicated, as may be inferred from what subsequently occurred. Towards evening, and soon after partaking of one of these potations, I began to experience most unpleasant sensations. I felt extremely ill. My head commenced aching—a dull, heavy pain, inexpressibly disagreeable. At the supper table, I was without appetite; the sight and flavor of food was nauseous. About dark the same servant conducted me to the room I had occupied the previous night. Brown and Hamilton advised me to retire, commiserating me kindly, and expressing hopes that I would be better in the morning. Divesting myself of coat and boots merely, I threw myself upon the bed. It was impossible to sleep. The pain in my head continued to increase, until it became almost unbearable. In a short time I became thirsty. My lips were parched. I could think of nothing but water—of lakes and flowing rivers, of brooks where I had stooped to drink, and of the dripping bucket, rising with its cool and overflowing nectar, from the bottom of the well. Towards midnight, as near as I could judge, I arose, unable longer to bear such intensity of thirst. I was a stranger in the house, and knew nothing of its apartments. There was no one up, as I could observe. Groping about at random, I knew not where, I found the way at last to a kitchen in the basement. Two or three colored servants were moving through it, one of whom, a woman, gave me two glasses of water. It afforded momentary relief, but by the time I had reached my room again, the same burning desire of drink, the same tormenting thirst, had again returned. It was even more torturing than before, as was also the wild pain in my head, if such a thing could be. I was in sore distress—in most excruciating agony! I seemed to stand on the brink of madness! The memory of that night of horrible suffering will follow me to the grave. In the course of an hour or more after my return from the kitchen, I was conscious of some one entering my room. There seemed to be several—a mingling of various voices,—but how many, or who they were, I cannot tell. Whether Brown and Hamilton were among them, is a mere matter of conjecture. I only remember with any degree of distinctness, that I was told it was necessary to go to a physician and procure medicine, and that pulling on my boots, without coat or hat, I followed them through a long passage-way, or alley, into the open street. It ran out at right angles from Pennsylvania Avenue. On the opposite side there was a light burning in a window. My impression is there were then three persons with me, but it is altogether indefinite and vague, and like the memory of a painful dream. Going towards the light, which I imagined proceeded from a physician's office, and which seemed to recede as I advanced, is the last glimmering recollection I can now recall. From that moment I was insensible. How long I remained in that condition— whether only that night, or many days and nights— I do not know; but when consciousness returned I found myself alone, in utter darkness, and in chains. The pain in my head had subsided in a measure, but I was very faint and weak. I was sitting upon a low bench, made of rough boards, and without coat or hat. I was hand cuffed. Around my ankles also were a pair of heavy fetters. One end of a chain was fastened to a large ring in the floor, the other to the fetters on my ankles. I tried in vain to stand upon my feet. Waking from such a painful trance, it was some time before I could collect my thoughts. Where was I? What was the meaning of these chains? Where were Brown and Hamilton? What had I done to deserve imprisonment in such a dungeon? I could not comprehend. There was a blank of some indefinite period, preceding my awakening in that lonely place, the events of which the utmost stretch of memory was unable to recall. I listened intently for some sign or sound of life, but nothing broke the oppressive silence, save the clinking of my chains, whenever I chanced to move. I spoke aloud, but the sound of my voice startled me. I felt of my pockets, so far as the fetters would allow—far enough, indeed, to ascertain that I had not only been robbed of liberty, but that my money and free papers were also gone! Then did the idea begin to break upon my mind, at first dim and confused, that I had been kidnapped. But that I thought was incredible. There must have been some misapprehension—some unfortunate mistake. It could not be that a free citizen of New-York, who had wronged no man, nor violated any law, should be dealt with thus inhumanly. The more I contemplated my situation, however, the more I became confirmed in my suspicions. It was a desolate thought, indeed. I felt there was no trust or mercy in unfeeling man; and commending myself to the God of the oppressed, bowed my head upon my fettered hands, and wept most bitterly.    

Santa Claus joins Merrill Brown on this holiday edition of Media Download. Producer: Juan Contla Executive Producer & Social: Anabella Poland Music courtesy of Tom Tuminello - Santa & The Toymakers.

Nicole Home and Jenna Inganamort, Austin Reznick and Samuel Flesher, undergraduate students at Montclair State University's School of Communication and Media join Merrill Brown to discuss the state of media 2016. Engineer: Shawn Latham Producer: James Coffey Social Media: Brandon Simanski Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Tim O'Brien, Executive Editor at Bloomberg View and Bloomberg Gadfly and Trump expert joins Merrill Brown on this episode of Media Download to discuss the incoming administration, Trumps transition into the White House, the prospect of conflicts of interest throughout a Trump presidency, his family and his cabinet. Engineer: Jenna Inganamort Producers: Sam Flesher & Melissa Negron Social Media: Brandon Simanski Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Carroll Bogert, President of The Marshall Project joins Merrill Brown on this episode of Media Download, to discuss her nonprofit news organization, the state of criminal justice and criminal justice reform, prisons, the election of Donald Trump and her work in building a news organization from scratch. Engineer/board op: Jessica Conroy Producers: Brandon Simanski & Nicole Hom Social Strategy: Brandon Simanski Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Monica Crowley, columnist and online opinion editor at the Washington Times best known as a political commentator on Fox News, joins Merrill Brown to discuss president-elect Donald J. Trump. Engineer: Austin Resnick Producer: Kevin Rabanal Social Media: Brandon Simanski Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Hari Sreenivasan, anchor and senior correspondent of PBS NewsHour joins Merrill Brown to pay tribute to the late Gwen Ifill, one of the most gifted print and television journalists of our time. Engineer: James Coffey Producer: Brendan Clonan Social Media: Brandon Simanski Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Tim O'Brien, Executive Editor at Bloomberg Gadfly & Bloomberg View executive editor, one of the world’s top experts on the background and sensibility of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump joins Merrill Brown on this episode of Media Download. Hear his take on the campaign’s final days and on how Trump will react to its outcome. O'Brien is the author of "Trump Nation, the Art of Being the Donald", an investigative look at Trumps’s businesses, his net worth and his business practices. A decade ago Trump sued O’Brien for $5 Billion over the book although the case was thrown out of court and a new edition of O’Brien’s book was published last summer. Tim has also been an editor and writer for the New York Times, as well as the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Talk Magazine. Engineer: Melissa Negron Producer: Jenna Inganamort Social Strategy: Brandon Simanski & Sam Flesher Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Arnon Mishkin, director of the Fox News elections decision team will be calling the race for the network on November 8. He joins Merrill Brown to discuss the wide disparity at the polls for both presidential candidates. Engineer: Nicole Hom | Nick Franciosa Producers: Brandon Simanski Social Strategy: Jenna Inganamort Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Jonathan Greenblatt, President of the Anti-Defamation League, joins Merrill Brown to discuss a study the ADL is releasing this week detailing the harassment and threats of over 800 journalists who have reported on Republican nominee Donald Trump and as a direct result, have been recipients of hate speech and threats over social media, as this current divisive campaign enters its final three weeks. Engineer: Kevin Rabanal Producers: Austin Resnick and Brendan McClonan Executive Producer: Anabella Poland

Dan Sforzas, Managing Editor for The Record (North Jersey), soon to be leading The Record's investigative team, joins Merrill Brown to talk about the latest on the #Bridgegate trial. Background: a top political appointee of Governor Chris Christie and his former deputy chief of staff, are both facing felony charges over what prosecutors say was a criminal scheme to inflict gridlock traffic in the town of Fort Lee, as a political vendetta on the town's mayor for not endorsing Christie's re-election. Engineer/ Board Op: Brandon Simanski & Sam Flescher Producer: Jessica Conroy & Nicole Hom Executive producer: Anabella Poland

Margaret Sullivan, media columnist of The Washington Post and former public editor of The New York Times, joins Merrill Brown on this episode of Media Download. They discuss the media's coverage of this presidential campaign and the upcoming presidential debate between Trump and Clinton.

On this episode, host Merrill Brown is joined by Peter Kafka, senior media editor at Recode.net to talk about the power of streaming giant Netflix and the fight for your living room. Host: Merrill Brown, Director of the School of Communications / Montclair State University Producer: Mike Sheehan Engineer: Mike Barnhart Executive producer: Anabella Poland

A conversation about the state of the music business and how digital content consumption is changing. Interview with David Pakman, a partner at venture capital firm Venrock. David was the co-creator of the Apple Music Group, built one of the digital music field’s early and most influential successes emusic and is a leading expert on the changing digital music world. Today, music consumption is shifting to streaming service competitors, the business model for the entire industry is changing and Apple is flexing its muscle with its 4 month old Apple Music service. Both the music industry and the digital content businesses have major challenges ahead even as they grow huge audiences. Also, hear his fascinating work at venture capital firm Venrock and how they research trends 10 to 20 years down the line. If you want to learn more about David Pakman and his work, please visit his blog http://www.pakman.com. Media Download is a podcast produced by students of Montclair State University's School of Communication and Media and WMSC-FM, the school's radio station and hosted by the Director of the School of Communication and Media, Merrill Brown. Credits: Sound Design: Lenore Deluca Producer: Mike Sheehan Executive Producer: Anabella Poland, General Manager, 90.3 WMSC-FM

An open conversation about the latest on technology and media issues, and top business headlines hosted by Merrill Brown, Director of the School of Communication and Media. On our pilot episode we talk to NPR Media Correspondent, David Folkenflick, Media Download is a podcast produced by students of Montclair State University's School of Communication and Media and WMSC-FM, the school's radio station and hosted by the Director of the School of Communication and Media, Merrill Brown. Credits: Sound Design: Lenore Deluca Producer: Mike Sheehan Executive Producer: Anabella Poland, General Manager, 90.3 WMSC-FM

This episode of the award-winning magazine show “Carpe Diem” introduces Merrill Brown, the inaugural Director of the School of Communication and Media. Brown talks about goals and exciting new endeavors on tap for the School.

Lucas is a Master’s candidate in the Economics department at the University of Oxford, where he is a Rhodes Scholar.

Paul Steiger and symposium panelists Gloria Duffy, Maud Beelman and Merrill Brown discuss challenges to journalism since the Sept. 11 attacks. (May 20, 2002)