How much corn do we eat in a day? The answer is elusive, at best. For the past 2+ decades, the corn industry has been taking over our food supply. At first it was seen as a cheap and viable way to produce the things we eat. Recently, corn has entered almost everything we eat and changed from an additive to a main ingredient. In addition, the corn industry is unlikely to be holding the reins of government and food production as much as it did 20 years ago. Today, that job sits squarely on the large food production companies. Sure, the corn industry still receives massive (I mean MASSIVE) subsidies to grow its crop. In fact it would probably be a money-leaking crop without the help of our tax dollars. But the fact that corn is in absolutely everything we eat and involved in every step of the process to “create” food, tells you of its continued importance. The companies that produce the vast majority of our food now hold more power than perhaps the defense industry… Think about the effect this might have on you and your family…

This past weekend, NOW on PBS aired an interview with the director of a new food documentary entitled, “Food, Inc.“. Robert Kenner made for a good interview subject and I’m looking forward to watching his film (you can watch the interview below). However, seeing this interview reminded me yet again of how little has changed. In 2003, Peter Jennings reported in an hour-long investigative piece on the food industry. “How to Get Fat Without Really Trying” was an incredible look into the food industry and how, without public knowledge or consent, the industry has hijacked our food supply, as well as the lawmakers and regulators who are supposed to watch our backs. Towards the end of Jennings’ piece, he asks if something can be done to change the legislative atmosphere that allows for so much of this insidious behavior to go on…

If you care about what you are putting into your body and about the future for your children, then I would suggest watching three films:

1) “Food, Inc.” – Although I have yet to see it, I’m sure from this interview with Robert Kenner, that it will be worthwhile and factually correct.

2) The ABC/Peter Jennings’ report, “How to Get Fat Without Really Trying” is probably the most in-depth and insightful look at food I’ve seen yet. It superbly explores the politics, money, marketing and public health aspects of what we eat. I have included the report below.

3) “Food Matters” – Another in-depth documentary on food, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, to scare the crap out of you (and there is plenty of it in this film), the points made and the facts discussed are very worthy of discussion.

After reviewing these latest reports on the food industry (Food, Inc. and Food Matters), let’s revisit Peter Jennings’ question about change. Has anything changed since 2003 when he first reported on this subject? Perhaps, but I doubt it has changed for the betterment of our health.

Here is the NOW interview with Robert Kenner, of Food, Inc.

Here is Peter Jennings’ report entitled, “How to Get Fat Without Really Trying,” broken up into five parts.

The bumper sticker I read on every Volvo I saw during my childhood in Vermont read, “Act Globally, Shop Locally.” A worthy message indeed and more relevant than ever with the growing concern about over-processed food (i.e. peanut butter, spinach, etc.), as well as the various chemicals that can be found in our food containers these days, but unfortunately this message cannot apply to the news we receive. The growing trend seems to be that local is better when it comes to news coverage. Independent sites, as well as those backed by mainstream media, are popping up all over the country. Mark Glaser, of PBS’ MediaShift, just posted the following on Twitter: “Putting together guide to local watchdog news sites for MediaShift, including VoiceOfSanDiego, MinnPost, StL Beacon, others.” I couldn’t help but think of David Simon’s comment on how newspapers must be the counterweight to bullshit and without them, local corruption will run rampant. Simon has often stated how it would be nice to be in local politics over the next decade, as the unchecked opportunities will be numerous while a new model for local news coverage is discovered. Watch a great interview that Bill Moyers conducted with Simon here.

I’m looking forward to the collection Glaser comes up with to see if there are any sources that I’m missing, but I couldn’t help but think about what we’re all missing with this increasing “local centric” mentality of news coverage. I have written before about the growing trend of hyper-local sites, but the void in our collective knowledge of the world is of far greater concern as news organizations continue to whittle away at their foreign news bureaus. This leaves us with a collection of independent journalists filing the void, often valiantly doing great work, but I worry how effective they are all the time and how safe? Start-ups such as Global Post have put together some great, experienced foreign correspondents, but while still in its infancy, there are bound to be gaps in coverage.

On Tuesday, Andrew Stroehlein, journalist and Communications Director for the International Crisis Group, expressed his worries about “a world without foreign correspondents.” He isn’t the first person to express concern about this growing trend to cut costs by bringing the bureaus home, but his post is worth a read for its unique perspective. Stroehlein gives two examples, in Somalia and Sri Lanka, of how news coverage is lacking. His logic is a bit flawed (which he seems to recognize and acknowledge), in that he discusses the cost-cutting measures being taken and that this has had an effect on the diminished coverage. However, in both scenarios the almost complete press blackout is due to security on the ground or government interference with the press.

“The first is Somalia, where the utter inanity of foreign news coverage in the West, particularly in the US, knows no bounds. Amid deafening hero-worship and chest-thumping, the US media machine was so proud that a new president with the world’s largest military at his disposal can kill a couple lightly armed thugs that few seemed even able to grasp the most basic fact of the situation: piracy is symptom, not the disease (NOTE: I wrote about this yesterday in urging people to focus on the solution, rather than just trumpeting the problem), and lawlessness off the coast of Somalia will continue as long as anarchy is allowed to continue on land. If only a tiny fraction of the Western media ruckus of recent weeks could be dedicated to Somalia itself, then international political attention might start focusing on the roots of the problem.”

Stroehlein continues,

“The other example of a crisis unfolding mostly not before our eyes is Sri Lanka, where over the past few months the situation in the north east has become incredibly desperate for some 150,000 civilians trapped in an ever-shrinking “safe zone” between their government that is shelling them and the cult-like LTTE rebels who shoot them if they try to escape. Today, as my colleague writes, “A mass slaughter of civilians will take place Tuesday at noon. And everyone knows it.” Once again, foreign correspondents are unable to cover the story, this time because the government is not allowing them in to the region.”

I would have included the genocide in Darfur along with these two examples as well, but Stroehlein has done a valiant job of describing the press’ failure to properly report as he has written it. The comments are also well worth reading.

Alisa Miller, the head of Public Radio International (PRI), explained in a TED Talk in 2008 why, although we (Americans) want to know more about the world now than ever before, the US media is actually showing us less. She walks us through the graphs and stats in great detail below and I have also included the map she references in her talk about news coverage in February of 2007.

Below are the links to a great interview Bill Moyers conducted with former journalist and current writer and film producer David Simon. Simon, known for his realistic portrayal of the streets, government, schools and cops of Baltimore in The Wire, also made the HBO mini-series, “Generation Kill” with fellow collaborator and former Baltimore cop Ed Burns. Never shy to express his true feelings, I have immense respect for Simon because he has reported more on what life is like in Baltimore than any series the Baltimore Sun, his former employer, has probably ever done. Enjoy.

Bill Moyers\’ Interview with David Simon, Part 1
Bill Moyers\’ Interview with David Simon, Part 2

April seems to be Earth Month on PBS. While today may be Earth Day, PBS has allocated a significant amount of airtime this month to broadcasting shows on the state of our planet and what we can do about it. Recently, I brought your attention to NOW’s report on the world’s glaciers and how their accelerated disappearance affects everything from our drinking water to the price of bread at the supermarket. David Brancaccio’s report was beautiful and picturesque, if not incredibly sad.

Yesterday, Frontline aired a very fine piece of reporting from Hedrick Smith entitled, “Poisoned Waters“. Smith is a veteran storyteller who has been able to tell a story of our nation’s water, while maintaining a sense of great fluidity in his reporting. He explores the health, scientific, political and community waters of this important subject by showing, in great detail, the situations in the Chesapeake Bay on our East coast and Puget Sound in the West. The story is fascinating, informative and I highly encourage you to take the time to watch this 2-hour piece (I have embedded it below).

Although the entire report is well worth watching, there were two moments that really stuck with me: First, the discovery of frogs with six legs and male fish with eggs in the Potomac river. The other was the way environmentalists and community activists are now framing this issue, with some preliminary success. I’ll explore that later, but first I want to remind readers of one of the reasons scientists are finding mutated animals in our waterways: Endocrine disruptors. We have repeatedly focused on the issue of BPA (or Bisphenol-A) in certain plastics used to carry and store our food and water. In addition, the EPA has for years stalled on fully regulating their use, as required under a law passed by Congress a decade ago. Well, it turns out that these same endocrine disrupters that, in humans, can cause higher instances of breast cancer, lowered sperm count and a whole host of other problems, are also contained in the drinking water for many of our municipalities. The causes range from industrial to agricultural, but one thing is clear: Washington, D.C.’s water supply has a host of endocrine disruptors and other substances in it and the scientists who are studying this problem won’t drink D.C.’s water.

One of the most memorable moments for me was when a community activist in Virginia acknowledged what needs to be done: Market the solution instead of the problem.

By marketing the solution to our environmental woes, we can move away from the self-imposed position of caging ourselves as victims vs. perpetrators in this fight and instead explore what needs to be done to fix the problem. One example Smith reports, can be seen in northern Virginia where developers were set to suburbanize yet another plot of farm land and forests. Instead of trying to block the action by framing it in environmental terms, activists opposed to this development lobbied the community to their call based on the expected higher tax burden (due to more crowded schools, hospitals and other administrative matters), as well as increased traffic congestion, guaranteed under any development scheme. The citizens demanded action and the developers were forced to abandon their plans and adjust to the changing public climate.

Perhaps the newspaper industry could learn a thing or two from these environmentalists and community activists: Instead of blaming the Internet and trying to advertise the industries downfall (due to multiple reasons), why not approach this from a more constructive angle and market the solution… Granted, they need to first find this solution…

One of the best pieces of reporting I’ve seen in a long time was recently broadcast by Frontline World. The roughly half-hour documentary on the current situation in Pakistan is enlightening to say the least, if not incredibly sad. Sharmeen Obaid-Chino, born in Pakistan, has created an amazing story and collected some of the most relevant and pertinent information to date on the Taliban and the state of its new host country; one with a large collection of nuclear warheads.

Obaid-Chino interviews children being schooled in Taliban-run madrases around the country, as well as others affected by the war between the Pakistani Army and the Taliban. After you’re done watching the video, take a look at some of the comments to give you a greater idea of how journalism like this can have an effect on the world. In addition, a 12-minute interview with Obaid-Chino can be seen here, where she describes her journey in reporting this story and gives updates on some of the people she interviewed. When Frontline picks up stories like this and broadcasts them in the US where you will never see anything else like it on television, I am willing to forgive their flaws.