Category: media

The younger brother of Hae Min Lee, the Baltimore high school senior whose 1999 murder, and the subsequent criminal trial, are the subject of the popular podcast, took to Reddit to remind the rest of us that it really isn’t fun to see your family’s most agonizing period become an online obsession. (He does, however, have a bit of praise for reporter Sarah Koenig.)

“The ABC budget will be cut by $254 million over five years and the more efficient SBS will be forced to find $53.7 million in savings, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced today.”

Not only does scripted represent a promised land for boosting audience interest, it’s also bursting with creativity at a moment when reality is, by comparison, “a little bit dull, a little bit stagnant.”

“Hasbro shares on Thursday lost 4 percent [after news of the purchase leaked out], wiping about $300 million from its market capitalization, and the stock fell another 2 percent on Friday, apparently enough to scare the toymaker’s board of directors from further negotiations.”

“Every time somebody uses a hashtag, they’re not only directing people’s attention to something, they’re also creating this massive online archive.”

Here’s “Julie & Julia” without the Julie, leaving only Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. “The result feels maybe a little lacking as a full movie experience, but it’s 100 percent pure delight.”

“Oliver is a 37-year-old comedian hardly in the mold of a television star. His teeth are, well, British, and his hair is not something frequently seen on the small screen. And even though he wears nice suits on the show, they look as if they landed on him from a great distance.”

“Backed by a violin-heavy, throat-tightening score, the temporary truce follows with handshakes, gifts, and soccer. It’s an exceedingly effective ad—one that might even cause you to shed a tear, depending on the size of your heart.”

Katniss Everdeen is an updated Theseus; the Capitol is a reflection of the Rome described by Tacitus.

The multi-episode spinoff of This American Life is now the most downloaded podcast at iTunes, and entertainment blogs run the sorts of recaps and discussions that are usually the province of juggernaut TV shows like Breaking Bad and Downton Abbey. Laura Miller considers the ingredients that make Serial such a hit.