Citations Needed

Latest Episodes:

Episode 11: The Deficits Racket Part I -- Single Payer Propaganda War Sep 27, 2017

Show notes

The idea that we're "running out of money" and have to "tighten our belts" is a common trope in US media; the premise that the US government is like a household that must balance its books, largely taken for granted by liberal and right-wing outlets alike.

But is this premise correct? Is it true that the United States is over-budget and ready to explode with insolvency? Where does this conventional wisdom come from and whom does it benefit?

On this and next week's show we seek to answer some of the questions. In Part I: Single Payer Propaganda War, we examine the primary talking points against Single Payer and other big government programs and how to combat them with guest Stephanie Kelton.

Episode 10: Ableism and the Ethics of Calling Trump "Crazy" Sep 20, 2017

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"Insane", "crazy", "totally fucking nuts"–Trump's mental capacity is the subject of much speculation, joke-making, and earnest concern. But how should the subject be approached by the media? On this week's show we explore the ethics of diagnosing mental health from afar, the conflation of mental health issues with moral turpitude, the negative effects of the media's nonstop stigmatizing of "insanity" and how to balance all of the above in the face of the unique threat of Trump. With guests s.e. smith and Dr. Dean Burnett.

Episode 09: Liberal Media Throws #J20 Activists Under the Bus Sep 13, 2017

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The #Resistance warms up to rightwing ghouls David Frum and Evan McMullin while ignoring anti-Trump protesters facing 80 years in federal prison. With guest Sam Menefee-Libey.

Episode 08: The Human Rights Concern Troll Industrial Complex Sep 06, 2017

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We discuss the cynical use of "human rights" to advance US interests with guest Glenn Greenwald.

The conceit that the U.S. has been a dedicated and earnest promoter of "freedom", "democracy," and "human rights" throughout the world — even if, at times, a "flawed" one — is a defining narrative, largely taken for granted by major media. But how accurate is this assumption? What do we mean when we talk about human rights? What abuses are highlighted and which aren't? Where do labor rights fit into the broader discussion of human rights?

On this episode of Citations Needed, we attempt to parse some of these complex questions and how they fit into a broader discussions of soft power and war.

News Brief: Harvey, Climate Change and Snitch Reporters Sep 03, 2017

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On this news brief we discuss the media's fear of covering Harvey in the context of race, class, and the manifest threat of climate change. With guest Katherine Krueger of Splinter News.

Episode 07: BDS & the Moral Narratives of Colonization Aug 23, 2017

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In Episode 7 we explore how the media discusses the issue of BDS and the broader topic of Palestinian liberation with guest Steven Salaita.

News Brief: Nazis, the ACLU & the Moral Limits of 'Free Speech' Aug 15, 2017

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We discuss the virtue of defending lofty free speech ideals in the Trump era with our guest George Ciccariello.

Episode 06: The Media's Default Setting of White Supremacy Aug 09, 2017

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In Episode 06 we explore how the media both consciously and subconsciously works to smear black victims, protect the police, and works overtime to ameliorate the sensibilities of white media consumers with our guest Dr. Jared A. Ball.

The white supremacist regime at work in the media can be broken down into three main narrative devices: 1) The use of language to downplay state violence and assert false parity 2) The uncritical dissemination of exaggerated or made up threats to police to turn the aggressor into the victim 3) The posthumous smearing of black victims to rationalize their killing after the fact.

In this episode we examine the mechanisms of these narrative devices, how they influence public perception, and why they create the media environment that makes more Mike Browns all but certain.

Show notes: https://medium.com/@CitationsPodcst/episode-06-the-medias-default-setting-of-white-supremacy-ff138e201978

News Brief: Media Helps Trump Stoke Tensions with North Korea Aug 09, 2017

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Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson recap today's North Korea escalation.

Episode 05: Purging Socialists of Color From History Aug 02, 2017

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On Episode 5, we explore the history of the media erasing socialists of color from the history books and present day discourse––a tactic that serves to both commodity and water-down black radicalism and pawn off leftwing politics as a uniquely white or middle class enterprise.

Our guests: Robert Greene II and Roqayah Chamseddine.

Show notes: goo.gl/QPYT7C