Rex Smith

(Airs 07/26/24 @ 3 p.m. & 07/28/24 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and WAMC News Director Ian Pickus. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and Ian talk about what right wing media figures are saying about Kamala Harris, the appetite for more news about the former Vice President, former President and current President, and much more.

Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump, there has been a lot of talk about unity, coming together across the divisions of American politics. Talk in the abstract, mind you – because, in reality, if we haven’t come together after the pandemic, and the inhumane war in Gaza, and Sandy Hook, well, there’s not much chance that we’ll suddenly be drawn to comradeship now.

(Airs 07/19/24 @ 3 p.m. & 07/21/24 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and Daily Freeman Publisher Emeritus Ira Fusfeld. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and Ira talk about media coverage of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, the Republican national convention, and much more.

It’s peaceful these days in our neighborhood on the edge of the farms and rolling hills of Rensselaer County, but last summer was a doozy. The kids whose family moved into a house down the hill were buzzing around on dirt bikes – just about driving us nuts from the noise. My wife teaches online and does a podcast from her home studio, and I’ll tell you that a lesser person would have become, you know, grouchy.

(Airs 07/12/24 @ 3 p.m. & 07/14/24 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and David Guistina, Media Project Producer, Morning Edition Anchor, and Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and David talk about how the media is covering the Presidential race, whether reporters should accept questions fed to them by politicians, and more.

A lot us are ready to hit the road about now: According to dependable surveys, about 82 percent of Americans will travel this summer. In fact, the Independence Day holiday just past is always the busiest time of the year for travel.

(Airs 07/05/24 @ 3 p.m. & 07/07/24 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and David Guistina, Media Project Producer, Morning Edition Anchor, and Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and David talk about coverage of climate change, campaign spending in the media, and why the press should have known more about President Biden before his debate performance.

We can thank John Adams for the fireworks this time of the year. On July 3, 1776, fresh from the vote approving the Declaration of Independence, he wrote that what he called the “Day of Deliverance” should thereafter be celebrated with, in Adams’s words, “Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations” around the land.

(Airs 06/27/24 @ 3 p.m. & 06/29/24 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and WAMC News Director Ian Pickus. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara, and Ian talk about The Washington Post’s shuffling newsroom, the Julian Assange plea deal, the AP finding a new way to combat news deserts, and much more.

My neighbors are getting together for a midsummer barbecue this week, and as we gather around the grill, I plan to pass along this neat little fact: Americans eat more meat than anybody else in the world: about 219 pounds per person each year. FYI, we are closely followed by our fellow carnivores, the Australians and the Argentinians. Only about 5 percent of Americans claim to be vegetarian, and 3 percent take the label of vegan. Yes, we will not go gently if we are asked to hand over our Whoppers and Quarter Pounders With Cheese.