Why We Wrote This
The Christian Science Monitor
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Who reports the news? People. And at The Christian Science Monitor, we believe that it’s our job to report each story with a sense of shared humanity. Through conversations with our reporters and editors, we explain the qualities behind our reporting that affect how we approach the news. Behind today’s headlines we find respect, resilience, dignity, agency, and hope. “Why We Wrote This” shows how. The Monitor is an award-winning, nonpartisan news organization with bureaus around the globe. Visit CSMonitor.com/whywewrotethis to learn more.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
1 day ago
What’s a Teacher Worth?
Public-school teachers run on passion for their work and for the kids in their classrooms. That work is vital to a thriving society. But teachers also are widely regarded as being underpaid – often moonlighting to get by. A Monitor education writer looks at a push to create a higher baseline for compensation in a story that really extends to equality and fairness. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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Jan 27, 2023
Does Mercy Have Limits?
The notion of assistance in dying as an act of mercy is ancient. Now it has become part of a global debate that’s taking a variety of forms, and that ultimately is about what a caring society truly looks like. How a team of Monitor writers parsed that, with care and compassion. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jan 20, 2023
The ‘Alaska Way’
Is there a credible counternarrative to the sense that industrial-grade partisan brinkmanship is all that’s on tap in U.S. politics? Francine Kiefer talks about reporting an Alaska story that shows how cooperation and respect might be a way forward. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jan 13, 2023
A Win-Win on Housing?
How did a story on solutions to Toronto’s deepening housing crisis become a story about empathy and compassion? Staff writer Sara Miller Llana tracked down those working to shift intergenerational tension toward a focus on mutual goals, resulting in potential win-win solutions. She spoke with host Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jan 6, 2023
Humanity in Focus
Every storyteller has a favorite medium. For the Monitor’s Jingnan Peng, it’s videography that carries that special power to humanize his reporting and drive stories home – especially stories that bring respect to underdogs and marginalized groups. Revealing their agency brings Jing joy. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Dec 22, 2022
A Global Hunt for Good
Popular uprisings, and hints of more. Stories of struggles that seem to run in unending cycles. How does a news organization committed to finding evidence of shared human values keep a constructive framing? Peter Ford, the Monitor’s international news editor, spoke with host Clay Collins about the challenge.
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Dec 16, 2022
Black Films Break Through
Hollywood might not have had a “tipping point” year when it comes to diversity. But Monitor columnist Ken Makin acknowledges that the year reflected a continuum of progress for representation. In this episode, he speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about how some of the year's top hits – including “Wakanda Forever,” “Till,” and “Star Wars” – expanded the genre of Black storytelling.
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Dec 9, 2022
How to Farm a Hotter Planet
Farming is among the most basic, and essential, relationships that humans can have with our planet. And it’s evolving to keep pace with changing climate conditions. In this episode, Whitney Eulich, the Monitor’s Mexico City-based Latin America editor and writer, talks with host Clay Collins about the roots of a Monitor story on global innovation in small-scale agriculture.
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Dec 2, 2022
Rethinking the Workweek
Will the four-day workweek take hold, at least in sectors where qualified workers remain scarce? Veteran reporter Laurent Belsie took a close look at a long-running labor reform idea that is again sparking the popular imagination. He talks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about finding a Monitor angle on a workplace dynamics story that’s getting a lot of coverage.
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Nov 25, 2022
The Power of Giving Thanks
What is the role of gratitude in our lives? To answer that question, staff writer Harry Bruinius gathered written expressions of thanks from people who had sent or received them, and then conducted interviews about their impact. He spoke to the Monitor’s Samantha Laine Perfas about what he learned.
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Nov 18, 2022
A Child’s ‘Best Interests’
Native adoption and child welfare have reached the U.S. Supreme Court. There’s no simple answer to the question of whether the Indian Child Welfare Act works. The Monitor’s justice writer, Henry Gass, talks about presenting different, nuanced perspectives compellingly and without judgment, with dignity and respect. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Nov 4, 2022
Keeping It Fair
Fairness should be a given in political journalism. But today even the media can struggle to stay neutral, or there’s a creeping “both-sides-ism” that creates false equivalencies. That fuels distrust. How does the Monitor navigate this? The Monitor’s politics editor, Liz Marlantes, speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Oct 28, 2022
Rebooting Conscription
Lenora Chu turned a story on the nuances of new conscription policies in Northern Europe into a look at balance and responsibility – at governments working to deliver what their societies need, and at the right time. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Oct 21, 2022
A Writer’s Long Run
John Gould, a regular presence in the Monitor’s essay section, The Home Forum, left a lasting impression on the Monitor and on his longtime editor Owen Thomas, who is using the 80th anniversary of Mr. Gould’s first published essay to highlight the late writer’s work for a new generation. Hosted by Clay Collins.
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Oct 14, 2022
News That Unites and Uplifts
What happens when a storied journalism brand moves to sharpen its long-standing approach to news? For our second episode, we spoke to Monitor Editor Mark Sappenfield about the Monitor’s renewed commitment to focusing on what’s universal – and uniting – about the human experience. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Oct 7, 2022
Stories From Us, Stories of Humanity
Why float a new podcast into the sea of podcasts? At the Monitor, we see the world in a different way, with an eye to progress and credible hope, yes, but also to the common values that undergird the shared human experience. In this new podcast, we share the stories behind our stories. Host Samantha Laine Perfas talks with editor Clayton Collins and producer Jingnan Peng about the launch of “Why We Wrote This.”
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Sep 30, 2022
Introducing ‘Why We Wrote This’
This new weekly podcast features conversations with Monitor reporters and editors that help explain how we approach the news – and how we find shared values such as respect, resilience, dignity, agency, and hope behind the headlines. Host Samantha Laine Perfas explains.
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Sep 23, 2022
Monitor Backstory: A shift on a power source?
Sides have long been staked out on nuclear power: It’s either a poisonous menace or a means of getting past dirty, extractive energy production. The Monitor’s Stephanie Hanes, who covers climate change and the environment, explores a rising middle ground. Hosted by Samatha Laine Perfas.
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Sep 16, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Finding dignity in war
Writer Martin Kuz remembers his father’s love for Ukraine. As Martin traveled the country reporting, including for a story on how Ukrainians find dignity and hope in honoring people they’ve lost in the ongoing war, he could see even more clearly the depth of Ukrainians’ resolve. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Sep 9, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Mining for global progress
What goes into writing a weekly survey of where in the world things are going right? A fair assessment of what credible “progress” actually is, and a determination to present a diversity of coverage. Staff writer Erika Page talks with editor Clay Collins about the Monitor’s long-running Points of Progress feature.
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Sep 2, 2022
Monitor Backstory: A deeper reading of ‘Goodnight Moon’
“Goodnight Moon,” the Margaret Wise Brown classic read to children across generations, has its 75th anniversary on Sept. 3. The Monitor’s Harry Bruinius talks about a book that’s “modern and odd and elliptical” – one that was radical in its day, and that has since worked its way into so many bedtime rituals. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Aug 26, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Seeing patterns in the news
As a reporter, Ned Temko had a front-row seat to a remarkable string of world-changing events. As a Monitor columnist, he looks for global patterns. And at a time of mounting global stressors, he sees a spirit of communality emerging as a simple human response. In this episode, Ned speaks with the Monitor’s Clay Collins about the work of connecting world events and the underlying human impulses.
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Aug 12, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Joy on a Montana shoot
Alfredo Sosa, the Monitor’s director of photography, relishes fieldwork – no matter how challenging – for the humbling connections that it brings. He spoke to the Monitor’s Samantha Laine Perfas about his rigorous recent assignment to capture the high-altitude work of a wildfire lookout in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness.
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Aug 5, 2022
Monitor Backstory: The real Saudi shift
How did a reporter’s story evolve from being a report on Saudi Arabia’s economic reorientation to one about that society’s fundamental, bottom-up change? The Monitor’s Taylor Luck speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about finding in a notebook the scribbled asides that would actually form the heart of his story.
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Jul 22, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Covering Jan. 6
What happened on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol? The answers are shaded by deeply held perspectives. How can a journalist cover such an event and its fallout without being prejudicial? The Monitor’s Christa Case Bryant speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about the sense of fairness that guides her reporting work, and how that helps define the Monitor’s approach.
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Jun 30, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Where education and democracy meet
What does it mean for democracy if the public education system breaks? Host Samantha Laine Perfas and Managing Editor Amelia Newcomb discuss the Monitor’s latest series, which explores public education, democracy, and the future of America.
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Jun 20, 2022
Monitor Backstory: Voices of Title IX
Title IX is complicated. Reporting on the 50th anniversary of this 37-word law, the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato saw the many and varied ways it reshaped US society. In today's episode, she shares how women have pushed for equal treatment with courage and resilience, inspiring generation after generation. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Apr 13, 2022
Say That Again: To Build A Voice
For someone with a speech disability, what does it mean to have a voice? In our final episode, we pose the question to two families: one with a husband losing his ability to talk, and another with a disabled son on the cusp of adulthood. Each is looking to technology to help them literally be heard with their own unique voices. At the same time, they remind us that to be human is to be so much more than the sounds we make.
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Apr 7, 2022
Say That Again: Our Listeners Speak
In this episode, we break format to have a conversation about accent, language, and identity with special guest and recurring contributor Katherine Kinzler from the University of Chicago. We talk about the challenges of overcoming bias, share listeners’ experiences (as well as our own), and reflect on the series so far.
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Mar 21, 2022
Say That Again: Language Lesson
Imagine teaching a language you’re still learning. Or raising your kids to speak it when you’re not yet fluent. For communities trying to revive their Indigenous languages, these are daily challenges – and at stake are both the history and future of their culture. In this episode, we meet educators and parents fighting to give their children their ancestral language, Lingít (Tlingit). What does it take to save a language?
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Mar 14, 2022
Say That Again: Talking Black, With Pride
Language has power. This was a hard-earned lesson for Vivian Nixon and Elaine Richardson, two women who were told all their lives that their way of talking – talking Black – was something to be kept out of public and professional spaces. This episode follows their separate journeys to embrace the history, beauty, and breadth of Black English, and liberate long-buried parts of themselves in the process.
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Mar 9, 2022
Say That Again: Whose Job Is It Anyway?
Legally, you can discriminate against someone because of their accent. Dominic Amegashitsi found this out firsthand when he first came to the U.S. from Ghana to start a new life. This episode follows his journey to communicating more confidently, and examines our assumptions about what it means to communicate well in one of the most important spaces in American life: the workplace.
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Mar 2, 2022
Say That Again: Hey Ma, I’m On TV!
Diversity in media isn’t just about the way characters look; it’s also about how they sound. The creators of “Molly of Denali” knew that when they started producing the animated kids’ show about the adventures of an Alaska Native girl. We talk to producers about what it takes to meaningfully portray Indigenous peoples on screen. And we meet a family in Fairbanks, Alaska, who share with us what it’s like to finally see their own experiences – and hear their people’s voices – represented in ways that make them proud.
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Feb 23, 2022
Say That Again: You Are How You Sound
After years of trying to blend in as a Los Angeles transplant, Cynthia Santos DeCure realized she had all but lost her Puerto Rican accent. So she set out to reclaim it. Across the country, Amy Mihyang Ginther struggled to find her voice as a young girl living in one world – the mostly white community she grew up in – while yearning for another – the Korean family who gave her up for adoption. Each woman’s story is a journey to discover what our voices say about who we are and who we could be.
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Feb 22, 2022
Introducing: "Say That Again?"
What do our voices say about us? “Say That Again?” is a new podcast series about how our identities and experiences shape how we sound – and how the way we speak can be a source of pride, resilience, and shared understanding. New episodes weekly beginning Feb. 25.
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Dec 23, 2021
Holiday Episode No. 5: Joy
Home Forum contributors Murr Brewster and Robert Klose were the top-of-mind answers to Monitor editors’ question: “Who should we bring to the table this holiday season to discuss joy?” Listen as the two writers talk about how, for them, joy requires that you be your authentic self. And that you keep moving, and looking.
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Dec 23, 2021
Holiday Episode No. 4: Hope
In August, the United States left Afghanistan after 20 years. The Taliban poured in. Monitor writers Scott Peterson and Ann Scott Tyson spoke about how Ann managed to find light in this dark situation – in the brave work of PARSA’s Afghan National Scouts. She knew one the organization’s leaders, Marnie Gustavson, and got in touch. “It became apparent,” Ann says, “that this story was important to tell.”
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Dec 23, 2021
Holiday Episode No. 3: Love
Francine Kiefer and her editor, Ali Martin, discuss how the work of two inmates addressing mental health issues in the Los Angeles County Jail reflects brotherly love. “Craigen and Adrian not only work with these men, they live with them,” Francine says. “They are incarcerated right alongside them. They get to know them. And as peers, they earn their trust.”
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Dec 23, 2021
Holiday Episode No. 2: Gratitude
Howard LaFranchi’s encounter with a subway quartet of classically trained musicians in Argentina – Venezuelan refugees who had joined together – opens into a look at genuine appreciation of their musical gift. This quality of gratitude is one that Howard has seen not only in Argentina, but also in other countries where refugees fleeing war or economic crisis seek to use their talents to tangibly say “thank you” to their hosts.
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Dec 23, 2021
Holiday Episode No. 1: Faith
“The places where we learn about God’s love,” says writer Maisie Sparks, “should also be the places where we … learn to accept and respect and worship with each other. She speaks with the Monitor’s Trudy Palmer about a respect that crosses religious and cultural lines, and about the healing work of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco.
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Dec 22, 2021
Okere City: A Ugandan hub of progress
In a little more than two years, Ojok Okello has helped transform a small Ugandan village into a model of rural development, adding a preschool, a boxing club, a shea butter co-op, and an adult literacy program. It’s a vision of progress in the heart of Africa. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Dec 22, 2021
LavaMaeX: Hot showers and radical hospitality
Kris Kepler leads LavaMaeX, a California organization that provides mobile showers for those who are unhoused, and creates Pop-Up Care Villages, providing everything from haircuts to job interviews. A story of hope, empathy, and innovation. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Dec 22, 2021
Theresa Betancourt: How ex-child soldiers heal
Professor Theresa Betancourt of Boston College has studied why some child soldiers in Sierra Leone heal after the trauma of war. But she took it a step further. She’s helping create programs that foster resilience, love, and hope. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Dec 17, 2021
Daisy Hampton: Including You
Twelve-year-old Daisy Hampton’s mission is to forge friendships with peers who have disabilities and help close the digital access gap for kids who face income inequality. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Dec 10, 2021
The Travelling Telescope
Susan Murabana’s mission is to give all Kenyans equal access to the skies, and to inspire the next generation of scientists. She and her husband have reached about 200,000 school kids with their Travelling Telescope program. A tale of dream-building and love. Hosted by Dave Scott
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Dec 3, 2021
Global Gardens: Raising confident children
Global Gardens is in more than a dozen elementary schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yes, it helps kids grow gardens. But sowing seeds is also a path to learning how to cooperate, manage conflict, and nurture critical thinking skills. It's a program about peace, science, and hope. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Nov 19, 2021
The Grace Project
Megan Cohen struggled with addiction and homelessness for nearly a decade. But then, aided by small acts of kindness by strangers, she turned her life around. Today, at age 28, she leads The Grace Project, which brings food and medical supplies – and hope – to people who are experiencing homelessness and dealing with addiction in Philadelphia. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Nov 15, 2021
The Sewing Machine Project
Margaret Jankowski has given away more than 3,300 secondhand sewing machines. But The Sewing Machine Project is also a vehicle for teaching empathy, generosity, and how to repair lives. And she has learned to trust that a good idea has power, and is often shaped in ways she could never have imagined. Hosted by Dave Scott.
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Oct 21, 2021
A more equitable new-pilot pipeline
In preparing its students for the future of flying, the Chicago organization Tuskegee NEXT – named for the esteemed Black military airmen – also represents a small part of a growing effort to supply a new wave of qualified pilots as many in an aging workforce reach retirement age. In an industry where 3.4 percent of pilots are Black, many realize that inclusion efforts are key considerations in filling this important workforce pipeline. Meet Jaylen Bush, a young pilot whose career and life goals this organization is bringing into reach. Produced by Ashley Lisenby.
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Sep 2, 2021
Reflections on Being Muslim in the Aftermath of 9/11
The Monitor’s London correspondent Shafi Musaddique was 10 years old at the time of 9/11. He, like Monitor editor Husna Haq, experienced the shift as “a flick of a switch,” he says. As the world reflects on 20 years of loss and conflict since the 9/11 attacks, Ms. Haq and Mr. Musaddique reflect on how Western views of Islam and Muslims shaped their view of faith, country, and self. Produced by Ashley Lisenby.
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Jul 23, 2021
Stronger: The Sisters
While millions of women lost or left their jobs in the pandemic, college student Jennifer Ashley Ciballos and her sister Jaelynn, a high school senior, faced a different problem: They had to start working to keep their multigenerational household afloat. For more than a year, they’ve juggled their studies with long hours at low-wage jobs to pay the rent and other bills. Their story shows the lengths women go to support the people they love – even if it means putting their own dreams on hold. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 21, 2021
Stronger: The Teacher
Leslie Stevenson had been resisting burnout for years. Though she loves being a teacher, the daily grind of blurred boundaries, after-hours demands, and lack of community support had made it harder and harder to stay on. The pivot to remote and hybrid learning only made things worse for her. Now, as the US prepares for its first post-pandemic school year, she’s wondering: Is the work still worth it? Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 19, 2021
Stronger: The Service Worker
When Mariza Rocha lost her job as a utility porter at The STRAT Hotel in March 2020, she turned to her union. Through the organization, she was able to get unemployment benefits and food assistance. And when she was diagnosed with COVID-19, the union fought for compensation for her and others like her. Now she’s convinced she wouldn’t have survived the pandemic without that community help. In this episode, we see how a support network can be vital in helping people face crises – and find their voice. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 16, 2021
Stronger: The Nurse
The pandemic is not Yarleny Roa-Dugan’s first trial by fire. But it's the hardest she’s faced by far. A nurse and mother of two, she's come up against everything that parents and frontline workers have been having to deal with. And when members of her own family were diagnosed with COVID-19, she had to care for them while running the household on her own. Despite all that, she’s determined not just to survive – but to come out of this period better than ever. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 14, 2021
Stronger: The Artist
Christine Hudman Pardy had made it. After decades of touring on and off Broadway, she was performing in a nightly show she loved, for a company that paid well and let her go home to her kids. Then the pandemic hit. Her show closed for good – and so did her husband’s. After more than a year without work, she’s asking herself: What’s next? When the odds seem to be against you, how do you keep on dreaming and growing? Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 12, 2021
Stronger: Women, Work, and the Pandemic
The numbers were grim: 2.3 million women pushed out of the workforce between March 2020 and March 2021. A generation’s worth of progress in women’s workforce participation lost, by some accounts. Women of color hit especially hard. Now, as the U.S. recovers from the pandemic, it’s time to look not only at what we’ve lost, but also at what we’ve learned. Can we rethink how and when we work to better support women? Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jul 11, 2021
Introducing: Stronger
Through job loss, burnout, and the pressures of caregiving, women are fighting to win back what they’ve lost to COVID-19. This podcast follows six women from Las Vegas, one of the hardest hit economies in the U.S. Their stories capture what the pandemic has cost – and what it truly takes to move forward. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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May 27, 2021
Introducing: Tulsa Rising
How does a city confront a racist past? Tulsa, Oklahoma, is commemorating the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, one of the worst incidents of racist violence in U.S. history. Producers and hosts Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas share a teaser for their new podcast, “Tulsa Rising,” which explores how a community rebuilt in the face of hostility – and what it truly takes to repair what hate has broken.
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Apr 30, 2021
For the newly food insecure, help that preserves dignity
Odessa Davis is used to helping families as a public school teacher and summer camp director in Maryland’s Montgomery County. But when the pandemic forced camps to close, she realized her own family was in need. Ms. Davis is one of many Americans who struggled to put food on the table for the first time during the past year, raising the question: how do we effectively combat hunger and support those newly in need? Guests: Odessa Davis, Hilary Salmon and Radha Muthiah of Capital Area Food Bank, Alex Moore of DC Central Kitchen, and food insecurity expert Caitlin Caspi. Hosted by Ibrahim Onafeko.
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Apr 12, 2021
It’s About Time: How to Be Nicer to Future You
You have a superpower: The ability to imagine the future. But when we procrastinate, we get disconnected from that superpower. So how do we stop procrastinating, get unstuck from the present, and get connected to our future selves? Guests: Evolutionary anthropologist Dorsa Amir, procrastination expert Fuschia Sirois, and social psychologist Tim Wilson. Part 6 of 6. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to research mentioned in this episode.
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Apr 5, 2021
It’s About Time: The Fight for Equal Time
JJJJJerome Ellis used to think his stutter was his fault. But he’s done blaming himself. This is the story of how he took his time back – and how disability, gender, and race all affect our access to time. Guests: cultural critic, academic, and activist Brittney Cooper, linguist Deborah Tannen, and composer, performer, and poet JJJJJerome Ellis. Part 5 of 6. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to the research and performances mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 29, 2021
It's About Time: On the Clock
Have you ever been too glued to the clock? Ten-year-old Madeline was becoming a little obsessed with her alarm clock. So her mom took it away. But Madeline isn’t alone. We look at how the clock became king in the West – and how its rule is both tyrannical and liberating. Guests: Historian Alexis McCrossen, time and work expert Dawna Ballard, and clock enthusiast Madeline Hanes. Part 4 of 6. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to research mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 22, 2021
It’s About Time: Out of Time? You're Not Alone.
If you feel like you don’t have enough time, you’re not alone. We objectively have more free time than ever before, but we feel more pressed for time than ever. Why do we feel this way? And are there ways to get the most out of the time we do have? Part 3 of 6. Guests: Psychologist Ashley Whillans and sociologist Leah Ruppanner. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to research mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 18, 2021
Bonus: Alan Lightman Talks Creativity, Time, and Einstein
Why the most exciting parts of being alive are creative moments. For the renowned physicist and writer Alan Lightman, dreaming up a fictional character or discovering a new equation leads to unparalleled exhilaration. In this interview, Dr. Lightman shares his definition of time, and discusses Albert Einstein's work, and the joys of creating. This is a bonus episode of “It’s About Time.” Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to Dr. Lightman’s books that are mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 15, 2021
It’s About Time: Can We Change the Past?
Have you ever wanted to time travel? Modern physics shows that it's possible to manipulate time. But does that mean we can travel to the past? And what does this say about what time actually is? The last word often comes from physicists, but there are many definitions of time. Guests: sci-fi writer Ted Chiang (17:16), physicist Ron Mallet (9:02), and philosopher Heather Dyke (3:00). Part 2 of 6. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to books and stories mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 8, 2021
It's About Time: Why Time Flies
Why does time fly when you're having fun? But slow to a crawl when you're under stress? Experiencing the world more like a child could help us all slow down and make the most of our time. Guests: Psychologist Peter Tse and magician Debbie O'Carroll. Part 1 of 6. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and Eoin O'Carroll (yes, he's Debbie's son). Visit csmonitor.com/time for the full transcript, episode art, and links to research mentioned in this episode.
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Mar 1, 2021
What Is Time? Introducing: It's About Time
Do you know what time is? No, not "what time is it?" But "what time is." In this six-part science series, "It's About Time," experts unravel the mysteries of time. Because understanding time more deeply can help you make the most of the time you have. Hosted by Rebecca Asoulin and science reporter Eoin O'Carroll. Visit csmonitor.com/time for episode transcripts, episode art, and links to research mentioned in the show.
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Jan 28, 2021
21 in ‘21: Does a Pandemic Define a Generation?
For many societies, 21 is a significant age. It’s a period of promise and potential, of leaving behind childhood to forge a way into the world. So what happens when a pandemic stalls that momentum? In this episode, we talk with Ryan Lenora Brown, the lead reporter in the Monitor’s new special global report “21 in ‘21.” She shares how the project came to be, the experiences of the 12 young adults the Monitor interviewed, and the common threads they all shared – wherever they were in the world. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jan 19, 2021
Trusting Our Elections: Why Are Conspiracy Theories So Compelling?
The false narrative that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election was powerful. It led to his supporters storming the Capitol, his second impeachment by the House of Representatives, and even to extremists discussing the possibility of infiltrating President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. In this episode, we take a close look at political conspiracy theories. Why are they so compelling? And how do we combat them? Part 2 of 2. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Jan 14, 2021
Trusting Our Elections: What Makes Our Elections Secure?
Ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Americans remain divided over the integrity of the election. This is despite Congress having certified the results, and officials assuring the public that the 2020 election was perhaps “the most secure in American history.” But what does it mean to have secure elections? And why do conspiracy theories around our elections continue to thrive? In this episode, we look at what truly makes elections fair, free, and secure. Part 1 of 2. Hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas.
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Dec 23, 2020
Lenora Chu on the Power of Cultural Influences
Lenora Chu, the Monitor’s special correspondent for Europe, is a keen observer of culture and politics. She draws part of that from her background as the U.S.-born grandchild of migrants who fled China during the 1949 Communist revolution. But over 18 years of reporting, she’s also found that her personal connections inform her coverage of unfolding events. Ann Scott Tyson, the Monitor’s Beijing bureau chief, talks to Lenora about her experience writing for the Monitor and how own history enriches her reporting. In this four-part holiday series, we hear from Monitor reporters about how they find the humanity and compassion behind today's headlines.
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Dec 23, 2020
Francine Kiefer on How One Beat Informs Another
The Monitor’s Francine Kiefer is nothing if not passionate. For 30 years, she’s brought energy and intensity to her reporting, whether it’s about the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, or the tumultuous politics of the past decade. Multimedia reporter Jessica Mendoza talks to Francine, now serving as West Coast bureau chief, about how her experience gives her an edge – and why she still responds to every reader email she gets. In this four-part holiday series, we hear from Monitor reporters about how they find the humanity and compassion behind today's headlines.
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Dec 23, 2020
Sara Miller Llana on Finding What Matters
After 15 years and three international posts at the Monitor, Sara Miller Llana has all the qualities of a veteran journalist: curiosity, energy, persistence. But Sara’s stories also radiate with compassion – and a commitment to listening to and understanding her sources. Managing editor Amelia Newcomb talks to Sara about her appreciation for the people she interviews, her love for getting to know what matters to them, and her effort to convey that to readers. In this four-part holiday series, we hear from Monitor reporters about how they find the humanity and compassion behind today's headlines.
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Dec 23, 2020
Ken Makin on Race, Justice, and Hope
Columnist Ken Makin just started writing for the Monitor this year. But he’s already brought incredible insight into issues like racial justice and the Black experience in America. Noelle Swan, editor of the Monitor Weekly, talks to Ken about why he thinks the past matters in news coverage, and where he turns when he’s looking for hope. In this four-part holiday series, we hear from Monitor reporters about how they find the humanity and compassion behind today's headlines.
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Oct 29, 2020
Black Wall Street: ‘Everything is Us’
Tulsa’s efforts to commemorate the centennial of the 1921 race massacre seem to be moving the city toward racial reconciliation. But reconciliation means different things to different people, including within the Black community. This episode looks at how a new generation of Tulsans is finding ways to process, and to own, the story of the massacre and Black Wall Street. What can we, as a country, learn from their efforts? Part 3 of 3, hosted by Jessica Mendoza.
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Oct 28, 2020
Black Wall Street: ‘The Illusion of Inclusion’
The idea that “the Black vote” is a monolith suggests that Black Americans are politically unified. But in Tulsa – and across the country – the reality is much more complicated. Though both Democrats and Republicans promise benefits to Black voters, both parties have also systematically failed them for generations. What gives Black voters in Tulsa hope in our political system? Part 2 of 3, hosted by Jessica Mendoza.
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Oct 27, 2020
Black Wall Street: ‘Their Blood Still Speaks’
The legacy of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre – its horrific violence and the subsequent silence – is still front of mind for many of its Black residents. How has this history shaped the politics of the city? This episode shows listeners Tulsa as it is and as it was – and paints a picture of a city reckoning with racism both past and present. Part 1 of 3, hosted by Jessica Mendoza.
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Oct 20, 2020
Introducing: Rethinking the News
Today’s news cycle can leave us feeling uncertain – about what’s true, about whom to believe, and about what’s really important to us. We want to bring you something different. Welcome to “Rethinking the News,” a new podcast by The Christian Science Monitor.
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