E-mail a friendSeptember 1, 2009
Former New York Times media critic Alex Jones, now director of Harvard's Shorenstein Center, talks about the state of the news business and the importance of investigative journalism. Actor Mekhi Phifer discusses finding roles that show African Americans in a multi-faceted light.
Alex S. Jones
Alex S. Jones
Pulitzer Prize winner says consumers need to realize what they are losing when newspapers can no longer operate. (2:00)
Full interview. (11:51)
Journalist-broadcaster-author Alex S. Jones is an authority on media issues. The 4th generation of a Tennessee newspaper family, he covered the press for The New York Times, where he won a Pulitzer. Since '01, he's been director of Harvard's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy think tank. He previously hosted NPR's On The Media and PBS' Media Matters and is on the boards of several professional organizations. Jones' books include Losing the News, a call to arms to fight to keep the core of news intact.
Mekhi Phifer
Mekhi Phifer
Actor talks about his character in Lie to Me. (1:48)
Full interview. (10:58)
For his first audition, Mekhi Phifer walked 40 blocks to get headshots from Woolworth. It was worth the effort and he beat out more than 1,000 candidates for the lead in Spike Lee's Clockers. Since then, he's played diverse characters in films and on TV and was a regular on NBC's ER for six seasons. The New York native owns six Athletes Foot store franchises in California and is chairman of the board of trustees of The Vine Group USA, a nonprofit organization that provides educational resources to universities in Africa.