The story at Washington, DC, headquarters is not super great. “Temps do almost every important job in NPR’s newsroom: they pitch ideas, assign stories, edit them, report and produce them. Temps not only book the guests heard in interviews, they often write the questions the hosts ask the guests.” – The Washington Post
Category: media
No Surprise, ‘Roma’ Wins Another Best Picture Nod
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association pick Alfonso Cuarón’s ode to his childhood – and Netflix original – as Best Picture, with Best Cinematography, and runner-up awards for directing and editing. – Los Angeles Times
Becoming (A) Spider-Man
Shameik Moore was in the middle of filming 2015’s Dope when he wrote in his journal, “I am Miles Morales, I am Spider-Man.” That was aspirational – and it came true. Movie director Bob Persichetti says, “I can’t now imagine anyone else being that voice.” – Los Angeles Times
If ‘Widows’ Really Wanted To Be Feminist, Well, It Threw Away Its Shot
Director Steve McQueen and his co-writer Gillian Flynn might say the movie, starring Viola Davis at the head of a very fine cast of badass women, is feminist, or deals with racism and sexism at every level of society, but … well. “Their dialogue starts to read like promotional materials for the newest brand of Feminism Lite.” – Vice
The Future Of Television
Binge watching? That’s passé. But what’s next isn’t entirely clear. – The Wall Street Journal
The Oscars Have A Bigger Problem Than Kevin Hart
We’re living in a time of perpetual, distracting, cheap cliffhangers provided by a ratings-conscious president. America’s relationship to many of its long-standing institutions, from the U.S. government to the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Emmys and the Grammys — it’s all eroding. And maybe inevitable. – Chicago Tribune
Communism In Poland Never Fell — In Oscar Nominee Agnieszka Holland’s New Netflix Series
In the alternate reality Poland of Holland’s 1983, “a wave of bombings in the year of the title has consolidated the grip of the communist regime even as the iron curtain fell around it – so the country enters the 21st century in authoritarian isolation.” Says Holland, “Maybe these people are happy? Maybe freedom is overrated? These questions are important for all of us. Maybe people who are feeling lost want someone to come along and tell them what to do.” — The Guardian
After Homophobia Controversy, Kevin Hart Steps Down As Oscars Host
“Wednesday afternoon, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the host for the upcoming 91st annual Academy Awards. By Thursday night, he had stepped down. The turn of events followed outcry over previous anti-gay tweets, and comments Hart made during stand-up routines nearly 10 years ago. Some of the tweets were feverishly deleted throughout the day on Thursday, leading to an Instragram video from the comedian that only made matters worse for him.” — Variety
Doing Your Part? The Average American Household Has TV On Eight Hours Per Day
When Nielsen started measuring TV viewership, American households were averaging four and a half hours a day. This figure rose steadily over the course of the century, but the biggest jump came in the 2000s, when it peaked at almost nine hours. Now it’s a little under eight. – The Atlantic
The Best Free Movie Streaming Service You’ve Never Heard Of
“When the classic-movie streaming service FilmStruck shuttered last month, it caused a palpable panic among cineastes. Overstuffed with exceptional big-studio films and arthouse gems, the service represented a viable alternative to the big streamers, many of which offer relatively meager film catalogs. And FilmStruck’s demise was especially troubling when you realize just how many movies, from Oscar-winners to low-budget oddities, are completely missing from streaming services altogether. What are America’s raging Cocoon-heads supposed to do?” Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary folks, meet Kanopy. — Wired