Podcasts about watchdog journalism

Ralph welcomes labor organizer Chris Townsend to discuss the current state of the labor movement under the second Trump administration. Then, Ralph talks to journalist Mariah Blake about PFAS and her new book “They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals.”Chris Townsend has been a union member and leader for more than 45 years. He was most recently the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International Union Organizing Director. Previously he was an International Representative and Political Action Director for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and he has held local positions in both the SEIU and UFCW.We've moved up an administrative layer of labor leaders, time markers, folks who see their role as at best guiding the sinking ship, managing the decline, taking best care as they can think of the members as their lives are destroyed, as the employers move to liquidate us.Chris TownsendIn many ways, exceeding the gravity of the political action crisis (our subordination to the Democratic Party, our membership estrangement from the political process, the lack of any significant trade union education of the rank and file other than a few cheap slogans)…is that the crisis that we face is the crisis of our very existence.Chris TownsendIt's far easier to shrink the labor movement than it is to build it and grow it. And that's our job. No other force in the country is going to do the work of adding the many millions of unorganized toilers—I use the word “toilers” very carefully…Toil is really what we've been reduced to, and increasingly so. So there's absolutely, I would indict the labor movement loudly, daily, that there is as yet no understanding that unless we go back out to the unorganized and take the spirit of trade unionism—unity, one for all, take on the employer, organize, defend each other, move forward, recapture some of this gargantuan wealth that we create each day on the job—unless that spirit is returned into an organizing wave or at least an attempt to do this, our fate has been sealed.Chris TownsendMariah Blake is an investigative journalist whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Mother Jones, the New Republic, and other publications. She was a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University. And she is the author of They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals.PFAS are a large family of chemicals with some pretty amazing properties—they're extremely resistant to heat, stains, water, grease, electrical currents. They stand up to corrosive chemicals that burn through virtually every other material (including, in some cases, steel). And this makes them extremely useful. And as a result, they found their way into thousands of everyday products. On the other hand, they are probably the most insidious pollutants in all of human history. So they stay in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years. Those that have been studied are highly toxic, even in the most minuscule of doses. And they are literally polluting the entire planet.Mariah BlakeThe way we regulate chemicals in this country at the moment makes zero sense. You do see changes happening in response to the unique threat posed by these chemicals on a state level. And this is really in response to citizen activism. So a number of states are passing laws that have banned the entire class of chemicals. That is not how we regulate chemicals in this country normally. We normally regulate them one by one, but at this moment 30 US states have passed at least 170 laws restricting PFAS, including 16 full or partial bans on the entire class of chemicals in consumer goods.Mariah BlakeThe amazing thing is the families of all these lobbyists have got these chemicals in their own bodies, their own kids, their own infants. I mean, don't they crank that into their daily mission as to how they're going to confront efforts by citizens around the country to ban and regulate these chemicals? How oblivious can you be? These oil and gas executives and lobbyists in Washington, their own families are being contaminated.Ralph NaderThese were people very much like Michael, people who had never taken much of an interest in politics, who'd spent their lives trusting that there were systems in place to protect them. And now that trust had been shattered. But rather than becoming cynical or resigned, they fought like hell to protect their families. And along the way, they discovered these hidden strengths that turned them into really remarkable advocates.Mariah BlakeNews 8/8/25* In Gaza, even the Israeli media is starting to acknowledge the scale of the starvation crisis. The New Yorker reporters, “Channel 12 [Israel's most-watched mainstream news broadcast], aired a series of startling…photographs of emaciated babies, and of children being trampled as they stood in food lines, holding out empty pots…[as well as] pictures of mothers weeping because they had no way to feed their families…Ohad Hemo, the network's correspondent for Palestinian affairs, concluded, ‘There is hunger in Gaza, and we have to say it loud and clear…The responsibility lies not only with Hamas but also with Israel.'” According to the U.N.'s World Food Programme, more than one in three people are not eating for days in a row. Yet, polls show that a “vast majority of Israeli Jews – 79 percent – say they are ‘not so troubled' or ‘not troubled at all' by the reports of famine and suffering among the Palestinian population in Gaza,” according Haaretz. This callous disregard for the lives of Palestinians among Israel's majority population ensures that this humanitarian crisis will worsen even more unless the government faces real external pressure to end the devastation and provide humanitarian aid.* Meanwhile, Axios reports the government of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “unanimously voted Monday to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who is currently prosecuting [Netanyahu] for corruption.” As this piece explains, “This is the first time an Israeli government has ever voted to fire an attorney general,” sparking “immediate accusations Netanyahu was seeking to protect himself and his aides.” The Israeli Supreme Court issued an injunction blocking the move. However, this act, and the ensuing backlash, all but guarantees the bombardment of Gaza will continue as Netanyahu uses the campaign as a political liferaft.* Speaking of political crises, a major one is unfolding here at home. In Texas, the Republican-dominated state legislature is seeking to redraw the state's congressional maps to give Republicans five additional seats, which President Trump claims they are “entitled” to, per ABC. This naked power grab has set off a firestorm, with Democratic-controlled states like California and New York vowing to retaliate by redrawing their own maps to maximize their party's advantage. Texas state Democratic legislators, in an attempt to deny Republicans the quorum they need to enact the new maps, have fled to Illinois. Attorney General Ken Paxton has ordered their arrest, but they are seeking safe harbor in Illinois. Gerrymandering has plagued the American body politic since the foundation of the republic; perhaps this new crisis will force a resolution to the issue at the federal level. Then again, probably not.* In more positive legal news, former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan reports that in an “Important win…A court rejected Google's effort to overturn a unanimous jury verdict finding that Google illegally monopolized key markets.” Crucially, the court also found that “digital monopolies can enjoy the fruits of their illegal conduct even after it stops.” In practice, this ruling means a remedy “may need to go beyond just stopping the illegal behavior so that the market can truly be opened up to competition.” However, Google is still appealing the ruling to the corporate-friendly Supreme Court, so the ultimate fate of this decision remains in the balance.* On Tuesday, the New York Times published an article giving an inside look at financier and pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's “Manhattan Lair.” Among other notable features of the seven-story townhouse: a surveillance camera inside Epstein's bedroom. One can only imagine the images it captured. Another notable feature: the preponderance of photographs of powerful and influential figures with Epstein, including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Epstein's Saudi connections, including a passport with a fake name and an address in Saudi Arabia which he used to enter several countries, including the Kingdom in the 1980s, have not been deeply probed.* Our remaining stories for this week all revolve around the Trump administration. First, after complaining that the Bureau of Labor Statistics “rigged” economic data to make his administration and Republicans look bad, Trump has fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. As POLITICO notes, budget constraints and workforce cuts have already enfeebled BLS, and the bureau's attempts to insulate itself from political pressure will now be strained to the limit as whomever Trump does install will – implicitly or explicitly – understand that their fate will be tied to reporting out positive economic data. In the long run, this blow against accuracy in official economic reporting could do immense damage to the confidence of those considering investing in the United States.* Another Trump power grab is aimed at the District of Columbia. At 3 a.m. on Sunday, an altercation occurred between two fifteen-year-olds and Edward Coristine, the infamous DOGE staffer nicknamed “Big Balls,” in Washington's Logan Circle neighborhood. According to AP, “the group approached…[Coristine's] car and made a comment about taking it…[he then]...turned to confront the group…the teens then attacked him…officers patrolling nearby intervened…[and] the teens fled on foot.” This objectively strange, though ultimately mundane, attempted carjacking by teenagers has spurred the president to threaten a federal takeover of D.C., even as “violent crime overall is down more than 25% from the same period last year.” This is not the first time Republicans have threatened a federal takeover of the District, and in recent years there have been increasing tensions between the local and federal government – but D.C. is largely powerless to resist as it lacks the constitutional protections of statehood.* The Trump administration is also taking actions that will endanger the health and safety of all Americans. NBC reports Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is terminating 22 contracts, amounting to around $500 million, for research and development of mRNA vaccines. These contracts were awarded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA. One of these contracts was intended to help develop an mRNA-based vaccine for H5N1, the strain of bird flu that has infected dozens of people in the United States, according to this report. Rick Bright, who directed BARDA through the first Trump administration is quoted saying, “This isn't just about vaccines…It's about whether we'll be ready when the next crisis hits. Cutting mRNA development now puts every American at greater risk.”* Over at the Environmental Protection Agency, the picture is far more muddled. The Washington Post reports that the EPA held a tense meeting this week on its plan to rescind the agency's drinking water standard with regard to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. In this meeting, state officials complained that mixed messages from federal regulators were frustrating their efforts. According to the Post “Despite the lack of clarity on what the EPA will do with the standard, states are still on the hook for implementing it.” Steven Elmore, chair of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, is quoted saying “Certain states have state laws that say their drinking water standard can't be more stringent than the federal law.” At the same time, 250 bills have been introduced in 36 states this year to address PFAS by “banning the chemicals in products, setting maximum levels in drinking water and allocating funding to clean up contamination,” and “Dozens of states have passed regulatory standards for at least one forever chemical in drinking water.” Put simply, chaos and confusion reign, and the American people will pay the price as toxic forever chemicals continue to pollute our drinking water.* Finally, the BBC reports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced plans for the United States to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. According to this piece, this initiative – part of “US ambitions to build a permanent base for humans to live on the lunar surface” – will be fast-tracked through NASA with a goal of being completed by 2030. The BBC astutely observes “questions remain about how realistic the goal and timeframe are, given recent and steep [NASA] budget cuts.” The announcement of this literally outlandish potential boondoggle is driven by an announcement in May by Russia and China that they plan to build an automated nuclear power station on the Moon by 2035. That's right, a second space race is underway, and to paraphrase the 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, the second time is always a farce.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

My interview with Mariah starts at about 25 mins  Stand Up is a daily podcast that I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Mariah Blake is an investigative journalist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, The New Republic, and other publications. She was a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University. Get her new book!  They Poisoned the World Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals “Riveting . . . Blake's deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time [is] a book that none of us can afford to miss.”—The Washington Post A gripping investigation of the chemical industry's decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals, told through the story of a small town on the frontlines of an epic public health crisis. In 2014, after losing several friends and relatives to cancer, an unassuming insurance underwriter in Hoosick Falls, New York, began to suspect that the local water supply was polluted. When he tested his tap water, he discovered dangerous levels of forever chemicals. This set off a chain of events that led to 100 million Americans learning their drinking water was tainted. Although the discovery came as a shock to most, the U.S. government and the manufacturers of these toxic chemicals—used in everything from lipstick and cookware to children's clothing—had known about their hazards for decades. In They Poisoned the World, investigative journalist Mariah Blake tells the astonishing story of this cover-up, tracing its roots back to the Manhattan Project and through the postwar years, as industry scientists discovered that these chemicals refused to break down and were saturating the blood of virtually every human being. By the 1980s, manufacturers were secretly testing their workers and finding links to birth defects, cancer, and other serious diseases. At every step, the industry's deceptions were aided by our government's appallingly lax regulatory system—a system that has made us all guinea pigs in a vast, uncontrolled chemistry experiment. Drawing on years of on-the-ground reporting and tens of thousands of documents, Blake interweaves the secret history of forever chemicals with the moving story of how a lone village took on the chemical giants—and won. From the beloved local doctor to the young mother who took her fight all the way to the nation's capital, citizen activists in Hoosick Falls and beyond have ignited the most powerful grassroots environmental movement since Silent Spring. Humane and revelatory, this book will provoke outrage—and hopefully inspire the change we need to protect the health of every American for generations to come. Join us Monday's and Thursday's at 8EST for our Bi-Weekly Happy Hour Hangout!  Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art  Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

From Silent Spring to Erin Brockovich, people have been captivated — and devastated — by stories of harmful chemicals and the many ways that they have altered and even ended human lives. From investigative journalist Mariah Blake comes a new book that recounts a small town being poisoned, a corporate cover up, and a grassroots movement to fight back. In 2014, after losing several friends and relatives to cancer, an insurance underwriter in Hoosick Falls, New York, suspected that the local water supply was polluted. When he tested his tap water, he discovered dangerous levels of “forever chemicals” (synthetic chemicals that are resistant to breaking down and can lead to adverse health and environmental effects). This set off a chain of events that revealed at least 100 million Americans' drinking water was tainted. The discovery of bad water was a shock to some, but perhaps more shocking was the discovery that the United States government and the manufacturers of these toxic chemicals — used in everything from cookware to lipstick to children's clothing — had known about these hazards for decades but had hidden them from the public. In her new book They Poisoned the World, investigative journalist Mariah Blake tells this story, tracing its roots all the way back to the Manhattan Project and through the postwar America. Drawing on years of reporting and tens of thousands of documents, Blake weaves the history of forever chemicals with the story of how a lone village took on the chemical giants all the way to the nation's capital — and won. Mariah Blake is an investigative journalist whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Mother Jones, The New Republic, and other publications. She was a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University. Mónica Guzmán is author of I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times; founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity; Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels; and host of A Braver Way podcast. Mónica serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Multipartisan Education. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Wheaton College, and completed study and research fellowships at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and the University of Florida. A Mexican immigrant, Latina, and dual US/Mexico citizen, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids and is the proud liberal daughter of conservative parents. Buy the Book They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals (Hardcover) Third Place Books

Today, we're going over your questions. You guys had some follow-ups about my stalker, Timothy C., and I'll be giving you a few more details on that situation. We're also unpacking the RFK Jr. sex scandal—what's real, what's spin, and what it all means. Plus, the government's leaked text messages have been making waves, and I'll be breaking down what they reveal and why you should (and shouldn't) care.—https://policecoffee.com/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACG7qmI1dmMkruwgp8vA8w0oECKla&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtJ6_BhDWARIsAGanmKfdkRQ1M1sighZQ-PGpEpsCjrZ8fCigidnvH55bfBUNMa56-yoy_A8aAv34EALw_wcB—https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CcmZWvQEaLTQAQRAFy2BQ?si=FgeO4b9QSi-5eB2cqX2XHw

We're excited to bring you another special News Guest episode this month featuring former New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet and The Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith, who spoke at last year's Independent News Sustainability Summit about the future of local watchdog journalism — and how national newsrooms like the Times can support it. P.S. Our next in-person event is only a few months away! The Southeast News Sustainability Meetup in Durham, North Carolina this October will bring together publishers from across the Southeast United States, and it will also host the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards Ceremony. 

On this week's episode of Badass Basic Bitch we have Elise Hu, a Los Angeles-based journalist, podcaster, author and media entrepreneur. She's the host of TED Talks Daily, a correspondent for VICE News Tonight, a host-at-large at NPR, and the author of Flawless, a book about lessons in looks and culture from the K-Beauty capital. Today we are going to be talking about Elise's book, Flawless, and the impact of the beauty industry on women.Elise is a Los Angeles-based journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur. She's the host of TED Talks Daily, a correspondent for VICE News Tonight and a host-at large at NPR, where she spent nearly a decade as a reporter. She has reported stories from more than a dozen countries as an international correspondent, and opened NPR's first-ever Seoul bureau, in 2015. She also created the Gracie-award winning video series Elise Tries. In 2009, Elise helped found The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit digital startup after stops at many stations as a television news reporter.In addition to her hosting and reporting work, Elise co-founded and helps lead an all-woman podcast production house, Reasonable Volume. The team produces bespoke podcasts for clients ranging from individuals to non-profits to multi-billion dollar brands.An honors graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Journalism, Elise's work has earned a Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism, a National Edward R. Murrow award for best online video and The Austin Chronicle once dubiously named her the “Best TV Reporter Who Can Write.”Outside of work, she is a senior fellow at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Innovation Lab, sits on the board of Grist magazine and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A mother of three girls, she spends an inordinate amount of time doing other people's hair. Connect with Elise!Elise's Book, Flawless: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667034/flawless-by-elise-hu/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisewho/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whoeliseTwitter: https://twitter.com/elisewhoWebsite: https://elisehu.com/ Connect with Brianna!Instagram: @mombossinaustinLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briannademikeFollow the Podcast on Instagram: @badassbasicbitchLove the podcast? We would love if you would leave a review!Thank you to this week's sponsor, AirDoctor! Use code BBB for up to 39% off or up to $300 off at checkout!

In episode 18 of season 2, Paul Monies talks about Oklahoma Watch's open records lawsuit against the state. Jennifer Palmer reports on how cash for students and teachers paid for video games, TV sets and Christmas trees. Whitney Bryen delves into the Tulsa police controversy involving a 70-year-old woman experiencing a mental health crisis. Ted Streuli hosts.

Li and Nathan are joined by Kat Tenbarge, senior reporter at Insider. Digging into Kat's work as an influencer watchdog—including her recent expose on sexual assault allegations against David Dobrik's Vlog Squad—they discuss the importance of holding influencers accountable, what people don't always understand about the elaborate fact-checking and editing processes, and how the internet might move to a healthier content ecosystem. If you liked this, you'll like our newsletter! We publish an original essay on the creator economy every week at https://every.to/means-of-creation Theme music by Keizo Fish

Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Previously, she explored the future with her video series, Future You with Elise Hu, and served as the founding bureau chief and International Correspondent for NPR's Seoul office. She was based in Seoul for nearly four years, responsible for the network's coverage of both Koreas and Japan, and filed from a dozen countries across Asia. Before joining NPR, she was one of the founding reporters at The Texas Tribune, a non-profit digital news startup devoted to politics and public policy. While at the Tribune, Hu oversaw television partnerships and multimedia projects, contributed to The New York Times' expanded Texas coverage, and pushed for editorial innovation across platforms.Her work at NPR has earned a DuPont-Columbia award and a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media for her video series, Elise Tries. Her previous work has earned a Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism, a National Edward R. Murrow award for best online video, and beat reporting awards from the Texas Associated Press. The Austin Chronicle once dubiously named her the "Best TV Reporter Who Can Write." Follow Elise Hu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisewho/?hl=en Learn more about Elise Hu: https://elisehu.com/ Listen to "TED Talks Daily" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630

Veronica Sánchez is a young Mexican journalist and media researcher currently researching watchdog journalism in her country. On the BredowCast she talks to Johanna Sebauer about the slow development of critical reporting in her country, the challenges of the Mexican media industry and why she, while working as a journalist, would never touch the buffet table at press conferences. Watchdog Journalism is a young concept in Mexico. As a general trend, it only started in the late 1970. Before that, the political elite and the press in Mexico were closely tied together in, what scholars now call, a “relationship of convenience”. The press offered loyalty to the powerful and the powerful, in turn, provided the press with economic benefits. Since Mexico experienced economic growth until the 1990s as well as social and political stability, nobody seemed to miss critical voices. “During this time many journalists saw themselves as a part of the political system not as someone to hold the powerful accountable”, according to Veronica Sánchez. However, things started to change. An emblematic turning point was the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968. In many corners of the world, the year 1968 was a year of civic upheaval and Mexico was no exception. During a peaceful student protest in the Mexico City neighborhood Tlatelolco 200 to 300 students were killed by the Mexican military and police forces. Mexican news did not report factually about these events. Only an article in the British Guardian revealed the actual number of fatalities. People started to become suspicious and demanded a more critical press. New Style of Journalism Between the 1970 and the 2000s, Mexico’s media landscape experienced a liberalization. Many new newspapers appeared and wanted to bring a new style of journalism to the table. Among them Reforma, a daily newspaper, where Veronica Sánchez worked at for four years. Through outlets like Reforma the journalistic profession began to implement a new self-conception, starting at the dress code: “When attending a press conference, men had to wear a tie and women formal clothing. We also took the rule of not accepting any gifts from our sources very seriously. We would not take anything from the buffet table that they usually offered to journalists at press conferences. Not even a glass of water.” Today Mexican news organizations, like many news organizations around the globe, face the challenges brought along by digitalization. A big problem is funding. Mexican media houses struggle to keep their businesses running and the root of this problem can be traced back to the questionable ties between the press and the political elite of the country. Due to decades of You-Scratch-My-Back-And-I’ll-Scratch-Yours-Type of symbiosis, Mexican media organizations were not able to build a solid foundation of trust with their audience. The solution? For Veronica Sánchez, quality journalism is a public good and should be treated as such. “That implies that it should be guaranteed by the state,” she says. “There should be a budget designated to guarantee that the journalistic profession continues to exist.”

The Nutcracker isn't unique to Cincinnati. But Victoria Morgan's version of the ballet classic certainly is. Morgan's dog, Cammy, inspired the poodle character in Morgan's revamping of the Cincinnati Ballet's version of The Nutcracker in 2011. “I really wanted it to be fresh, and I really wanted it to feel new,” Morgan, the ballet's artistic director, said on That's So Cincinnati podcast. “And I wanted especially young people to get a kick out of it.” In the Cincinnati Ballet’s version, it’s the poodle that distracts the Mouse King so The Nutcracker can win the battle. “Our dogs, they protect and give us company and comfort,” Morgan said. Also on this week's episode, cohosts Jason Williams and Sharon Coolidge discuss watchdog journalism and the man who ate 1,000 cheese coneys.

The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with WAMC's CEO Alan Chartock, Times Union Editor Rex Smith, Former Editor and Investigative Journalist, Rosemary Armao, and Judy Patrick, Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association,. On this week's Media Project Alan, Judy, Rex and Rosemary talk about Journalists who say President […]

The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with WAMC's CEO Alan Chartock, Times Union Editor Rex Smith, Former Editor and Investigative Journalist, Rosemary Armao, and Judy Patrick, Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association,. On this week's Media Project Alan, Judy, Rex and Rosemary talk about Journalists who say President […]

Elise Hu is the Seoul Bureau Chief and Asia correspondent for NPR, an American broadcast and digital network that reaches 1,000 affiliate stations across the United States. Her coverage area includes both Koreas, Japan and she pitches in on stories across the Asian region. Previously, she covered the intersection of technology and culture for the network, from Washington, D.C. She joined NPR in 2011 following television reporting jobs in Texas, South Carolina, and Missouri. An honors graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Journalism, Elise's work has earned a Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism, a National Edward R. Murrow award for best online video and The Austin Chronicle once dubiously named her the "Best TV Reporter Who Can Write.” Outside of work, she's an adviser to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a panelist on the Korean network Airing’s talk show, Foreign Correspondents, sits on the board of Grist magazine and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can connect with Elise on Twitter, @elisewho, on her website https://about.me/elisehu, on Facebook, and follow her blog at www.heyelise.com Show notes and links available at www.settlersofseoul.com

News correspondents are the eyes and ears of the outside world on the Korean peninsula. We wanted to know more about their work and were lucky to interview Elise Hu, who recently established National Public Radio (NPR)’s bureau in Seoul and now serves as NPR’s International Correspondent for Japan and the Korean Peninsula. We talked about NPR’s rationale for choosing Seoul as its new permanent regional bureau, journalism as practiced in the United States and South Korea, and some of her most memorable stories here in Seoul. Elise Hu joined NPR in 2011 as the coordinator of StateImpact Network, a state government reporting project by NPR member stations. Before joining NPR, she was one of the founding reporters of the Texas Tribune, a nonprofit digital news startup, and worked as state political reporter for local networks in Texas and South Carolina. She also reported from Asia for the Taipei Times. Elise Hu is the recipient of several distinctions, including a Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism. She has taught at Georgetown University and Northwestern University and also advises the John S. and James L. Knight foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the promotion of quality journalism and media innovation. Elise Hu graduated with honors from the University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Journalism.

Investigative journalists throughout the world face legal threats. This panel will look at how lawsuits have put a chill on watchdog journalism in the US and elsewhere. It will focus on the threats to national-security reporting, particularly the legal pressures on journalists to reveal their sources. Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press will provide a broad overview on the legal threats and challenges faced by US journalists. James Risen, who covers national security for The New York Times, has been put under surveillance and subpoenaed in court and being compelled to reveal the sources for his 2006 book on the CIA. He will speak on the pressures put on US journalists covering national-security issues. Roman Shleynov of Novaya Gazeta will address challenges faced by Russian journalists reporting on national security issues, and Harinder Baweja will discuss threats to journalists reporting on national security in India. Moderator: John Dinges, professor, Columbia Journalism School Lucy Dalglish, executive director, Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press: Legal threats and challenges faced by investigative reporters in the United States James Risen, reporter for The New York Times and author of State of War, about the CIA: Protection of sources and threats on national security reporting. Roman Shleynov, investigations editor, Novaya Gazeta (Russia): Challenges in covering national security issues for journalists in Russia. Harinder Baweja, news and investigations editor, Tehelka: Threats to journalists reporting on national security in India.

In many countries, investigative reporters face the threat of violence and physical harm. About a third of the nearly 700 journalists killed worldwide since 1992 were slain for exposing crime and corruption. In addition, the increasingly dangerous terrain for investigative journalism is a source of psychological stress for journalists. Bruce Shapiro, director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, will talk about psychological threats and the ways groups and individuals around the world have tried to counter those threats. Joel Simon, director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, will speak on campaigns to end impunity in the killings of journalists in Latin America, the Philippines and Russia. Kwame Karikari, head of the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) as well as one of the founders of the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organizations (NAFEO) will represent African media concerns. Drew Sullivan will talk about cross-border investigations on crime and corruption in the Balkans. Moderator: Josh Friedman, director of International Programs, Columbia Journalism School Bruce Shapiro, executive director, Dart Center: Trauma and threats to the psychological well-being of investigative reporters Joel Simon, executive director, Committee to Protect Journalists: Anti-Impunity Campaigns in Latin America, Russia and the Philippines Kwame Karikari, head of the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA): The Situation in Africa Drew Sullivan, advising editor, Center for Investigative Reporting, Bosnia; Director Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina : Transnational investigative reporting on crime and corruption in the Balkans

Investigative journalists throughout the world face legal threats. This panel will look at how lawsuits have put a chill on watchdog journalism in the US and elsewhere. It will focus on the threats to national-security reporting, particularly the legal pressures on journalists to reveal their sources. Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press will provide a broad overview on the legal threats and challenges faced by US journalists. James Risen, who covers national security for The New York Times, has been put under surveillance and subpoenaed in court and being compelled to reveal the sources for his 2006 book on the CIA. He will speak on the pressures put on US journalists covering national-security issues. Roman Shleynov of Novaya Gazeta will address challenges faced by Russian journalists reporting on national security issues, and Harinder Baweja will discuss threats to journalists reporting on national security in India. Moderator: John Dinges, professor, Columbia Journalism School Lucy Dalglish, executive director, Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press: Legal threats and challenges faced by investigative reporters in the United States James Risen, reporter for The New York Times and author of State of War, about the CIA: Protection of sources and threats on national security reporting. Roman Shleynov, investigations editor, Novaya Gazeta (Russia): Challenges in covering national security issues for journalists in Russia. Harinder Baweja, news and investigations editor, Tehelka: Threats to journalists reporting on national security in India.

In many countries, investigative reporters face the threat of violence and physical harm. About a third of the nearly 700 journalists killed worldwide since 1992 were slain for exposing crime and corruption. In addition, the increasingly dangerous terrain for investigative journalism is a source of psychological stress for journalists. Bruce Shapiro, director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, will talk about psychological threats and the ways groups and individuals around the world have tried to counter those threats. Joel Simon, director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, will speak on campaigns to end impunity in the killings of journalists in Latin America, the Philippines and Russia. Kwame Karikari, head of the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) as well as one of the founders of the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organizations (NAFEO) will represent African media concerns. Drew Sullivan will talk about cross-border investigations on crime and corruption in the Balkans. Moderator: Josh Friedman, director of International Programs, Columbia Journalism School Bruce Shapiro, executive director, Dart Center: Trauma and threats to the psychological well-being of investigative reporters Joel Simon, executive director, Committee to Protect Journalists: Anti-Impunity Campaigns in Latin America, Russia and the Philippines Kwame Karikari, head of the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA): The Situation in Africa Drew Sullivan, advising editor, Center for Investigative Reporting, Bosnia; Director Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina : Transnational investigative reporting on crime and corruption in the Balkans