Advertisement

The Year In Good (And Terrible) News Reporting

47:41
Download Audio
Resume

From the powerful photo of a drowned Syrian toddler, to Trump-mania. The best and worst of journalism in 2015.

Members of the media crowd into the living room of an apartment in Redlands, Calif., shared by San Bernardino shooting rampage suspects Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, after the building landlord invited media into the townhouse rented by the California attackers. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Members of the media crowd into the living room of an apartment in Redlands, Calif., shared by San Bernardino shooting rampage suspects Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, after the building landlord invited media into the townhouse rented by the California attackers. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

We may live in the information age, but we have all learned that does not guarantee good journalism. Not at all. So how was it this year? The best and the worst? Some made us sit up and really pay attention. The news photo of the Syrian refugee toddler dead on the beach put millions right there. On the other hand, reporters storming through the unlocked shooter apartment in San Bernadino made many cringe. Some news organizations really dug in on tough stories. We’ll look at them. Many struggled with exactly how to cover Donald Trump. This hour On Point,   best and worst journalism, 2015.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Brian Stelter, senior media correspondent for CNN, where he hosts "Reliable Sources." Author of the book, "Top of the Morning." (@brianstelter)

Max Linsky, co-founder of Longform and co-host of the Longform Podcast. (@maxlinsky)

Eric Deggans, television critic for NPR News. Author of the book, "Race-Baiter." (@Deggans)

From Tom’s Reading List

Longform: Best of 2015 -- "We recommended 1,453 articles this year, from 1,210 writers and 360 publications. They were read nearly 20 million times. These were our favorites."

NPR Codeswitch: Would 'SNL' Have Donald Trump As Host If It Had Latino Cast Members? — "In some ways, SNL has never been more ethnically diverse than it is right now, with five black people regularly appearing on camera. So why is the program still making so many missteps when it comes to race?"

Las Vegas Review Journal: Adelson has chance to prove doubters wrong — "Adelson has every right, and certainly the bankroll, to buy this newspaper. In theory, at least, a local ownership group might bring an improved sensitivity to the needs of the community in one of America's most complex company towns. But Adelson is precisely the wrong person to own this or any newspaper. His disdain for the working press and its prickly processes is palpable — and easily illustrated by his well-known litigiousness."

See A List Of Our Guests' Reporting Picks On Our Blog

This program aired on December 22, 2015.

Advertisement

More from On Point

Listen Live
Close