Skip to content
The World's Biggest Problem episode artwork

Feb 8, 2019 49 min

The World's Biggest Problem

from On the Media Hosted by WNYC Studios

At Tuesday's State of the Union, President Trump continued to call for a wall at the southern border. Meanwhile, some Democrats point to the real crisis: climate change. A look at the messaging of urgency and hope around the Green New Deal. And, a former mentor to Mark Zuckerberg lays out his deep criticisms of Facebook. Then, a Facebook employee makes the case for one potential solution. Plus, a new documentary about Pete Hamill and Jimmy Breslin, two New York City reporters, who helped turn column writing into an art form. 1. Kate Aronoff [@KateAronoff], contributing writer with The Intercept, on how Democrats are selling the urgent need to address climate change. Listen. 2. Roger McNamee [@Moonalice], author of Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe, on the damage that Facebook has done. Listen. 3. Andy O'Connell [@facebook], manager of content distribution and algorithm policy at Facebook, on the network's new "Supreme Court" for content moderation. Listen. 4. Jonathan Alter [@jonathanalter], filmmaker and journalist, on the legacy of two masterful newspaper columnists. Listen. Songs: Mermelada by Como Las Movies I Am Not A Farmer by Bill Frisell Coconut Wireless by Moonalice Fallen Leaves by Marcos Ciscar Superstition by Sungha Jung Chez Le Photographe Du Motel by Miles Davis Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry by Raymond Scott On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

The messaging behind the Green New Deal; a former insider's look at Facebook's problems; a potential solution; and the godfathers of the modern newspaper column.

Ready to play

The World's Biggest Problem

0:00 49:55

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of On the Media?

This episode is 49 minutes long.

When was this On the Media episode published?

This episode was published on February 8, 2019.

Can I download this On the Media episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.