Advertise on podcast: Communication and Media Studies (Audio)

Science communication expert Lisa Warshaw and scientist Rob Signer, Ph.D., offer a practical guide to turning complex research into clear, memorable stories. They explain why strong openings, simple messages, vivid analogies, and visual storytelling are essential to making science resonate. The talk includes tips on avoiding jargon, using soundbites effectively, and preparing for high-stakes moments like media interviews and conference Q&As. Warshaw draws on her experience in global biotech and healthcare communications, while Signer shares real-world lessons from academic science and public engagement. Together, they highlight how clarity and creativity can elevate a researcher’s voice, build trust with diverse audiences, and drive impact across fields. The session is filled with actionable insights for scientists aiming to connect their work with the world. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40460]

Troubled interactions are moments when communication breaks down in subtle, often unnoticed ways. In this program, Waverly Duck, an urban ethnographer and professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara, discusses these breakdowns, revealing surprising aspects of how we create meaning and self-identity. Through video and audio recordings, Duck shows how misunderstandings lead people to assign motives to each other, creating conflict. Examples from Duck's research include neighborhood poverty, food inequality, and autism assessments. These cases highlight hidden social rules and practices, demonstrating how studying these troubles can help us understand everyday interactions better. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40131]

Moderator Bhaskar Sakar joined Professor Moinak Biswas, Professor Emerita Supriya Chaudhuri, and graphic illustrator-designer Pinaki De for a post-screening discussion of two films by Satyajit Ray, The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha (Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne) and The Kingdom of Diamonds (Hirak Rajar Deshe). Together, they addressed the personal background of Satyajit Ray, his contributions to Indian cinema, the historical and political contexts of the films, and their artistic significance. Pinaki De elaborated on the significant detail and craftsmanship of Ray’s set design, while Supriya Chaudhuri and Moinak Biswas weighed in on the political and literary influences of the films. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38564]

Fake news. Misinformation. Disinformation. The role of journalism in society has never been more important. So what's the future of news in a country deeply suspicious of information? Veteran journalists Kevin Merida, Los Angeles Times executive editor, and Donna Britt, author and Washington Post syndicated columnist, talk about the state of news and information. The discussion is moderated by Point Loma Nazarene University journalism professor Dean Nelson. This event is supported by the UC San Diego Helen Edison Lecture Series which offers free public lectures that advance humanitarian purposes and objectives. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38462]

Production designer Chae Kyoung-Sun discusses with moderator Rita Raley and interpreter Eunjin Choi her design work for the TV sensation, Squid Game. Kyoung-Sun goes into detail on her design process, all the way from her initial ideas and discussions with her creative collaborators to how the final products were built and used on set. She discusses how her collaborations with the director, cinematographer, and other design departments completed the iconic look of Squid Game, such as the pink and green color scheme and the final design of the guards’ masks. Kyoung-Sun also recounts the hidden meanings and influences in her designs that reflect the hierarchies of the world of Squid Game as well as evoke cultural references like children’s games, school tracksuits, and fairy tales. Apart from Squid Game, Kyoung-Sun reflects on her early influences that inspired her to work in production design, which involved going to see films with her parents starting from a young age. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38312]

Director Marc Shaffer discusses his documentary Exposing Muybridge, which sheds light on the life and impact of photographer Eadweard Muybridge, a pioneer of early motion pictures. Muybridge is most famously known for capturing consecutive images of a galloping horse, which proved that all four hooves leave the ground mid-stride. Shaffer details the importance of this photographic experiment in the development of cinema, as well as the other strange and captivating details of Muybridge’s life. He also elaborates on the interview subjects of the film, including the involvement of actor Gary Oldman. He talks through the process of recreating and reimagining Muybridge’s famous multi-camera shoot and explains the importance of Muybridge in photographic and cinematic history, as well as the lasting influence of his work. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38155]

Rick Prelinger, Professor of Film and Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz, is a world-renowned archivist, writer, filmmaker, and founder of the Pray-linger Archives and the Pray-linger Library in San Francisco. He’s also been a pioneer in making archives accessible to the public. In this episode, Prelinger talks about his work and how it has been influenced by diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Series: "The Art of Change" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38123]

Professor Sharon Daniel talks about a remarkable undergraduate class called Making an Exoneree that she currently teaches with Georgetown University. This unusual class consists of a group of highly motivated undergraduate students who reinvestigate likely wrongful conviction cases, produce short documentaries that suggest innocence, and create social media campaigns calling for exonerations. Series: "The Art of Change" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38078]

Journalist and Los Angeles Times columnist Jean Guerrero covers immigration issues and the current political climate. She is the author of "Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda." Her first book, "Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir," won a PEN Literary Award and was named one of NPR's Best Books of 2019. Her writing is featured in Vanity Fair, Politico, The Nation, Wired, and The New York Times. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38003]

Moderator Jennifer Tyburczy discusses the production and impact of HBO miniseries Veneno with star Daniela Santiago. Santiago talks about the process and pressures of portraying transgender icon La Veneno, and the importance of representation both in front of and behind the camera. She detailed the significance of La Veneno, including her famous charisma and glamor, as well as the struggles she faced in her life. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37991]

Our series of artists and educators connecting arts and humanities to medicine continues with educators Holly Walter Kerby and H. Adam Steinberg as they show you a simple and repeatable method you can use to explain your work to the public via story and poster design. Series: "Let's Jam: The Arts in Medicine" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 37996]

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, screenwriters of "Captain America: The First Avenger," discuss the film with moderator Matt Ryan. Markus and McFeely cover how they adapted the beloved comic book hero to the screen, and their collaboration with director Joe Johnston. They explained in detail how they crafted the characters of Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Peggy Carter, as well as some of the behind-the-scenes work they witnessed while on set. They also spoke about their role in crafting the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe with their other Captain America and Avengers films. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37986]

Kate Crawford, author of "Atlas AI: Power, Politics and Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence," is a leading international scholar of the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. This program looks at the intersection of art, activism and artificial intelligence. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37967]

The last decade has seen a dramatic capture of digital material for machine learning production. This data is the basis for sense-making in AI, not as classical representations of the world with individual meaning, but as mass collections: ground truth for machine abstractions and operations. What happens when data is seen as an aggregate, stripped of context, meaning, and specificity? In what ways does training data limit what and how machine learning systems interpret the world? And most importantly, what forms of power do these approaches enhance and enable? Professor Kate Crawford is a leading international scholar of the social and political implications of artificial intelligence. In this lecture, Crawford shares new work that reflects on what’s at stake in the architecture and contents of training sets, and how they are increasingly part of our urban, legal, logistical, and commercial infrastructures. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37729]

Moderator Wendy Eley Jackson speaks with Gareth Crocker about his film-making process for the South African television show, Shadow. Crocker discusses various elements of the series, including his decision to shoot in his hometown of Johannesburg to lend authenticity to location, the process of collaborative writing with his friend and co-creator, seeking feedback from diverse voices to craft genuine characters, and acknowledging the room for growth. He also spoke on internet bandwidth issues in some parts of the country and the accessibility of Netflix. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37611]