Jaron Lanier, computer scientist and author of Who Owns the Future? and You Are Not a Gadget, discussed how the current digital economy, driven by automation and efficiency, is on track to leave large segments of society behind economically. Lanier also addressed, among other topics, privacy, ideology in technology, educational technology and MOOCs, the current dystopian streak in science fiction, the impact of technology on ideas about personhood and spirituality, and the details of how micropayments could be used to pay people for their online activity and data. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on October 8, 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and author of "The Selfie Vote," discussed the divide between the Millennial generation and the Republican Party, and what the party can do to better resonate with young voters in future elections. Anderson also addressed how far-right candidates harm the image of moderate candidates, how Republicans could address climate change, the debate within the party on social issues, and differences between younger and older Millennials. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on October 6, 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School.

Peter Hamby, Head of News at Snapchat and a political contributor for CNN, discussed how Snapchat creates news stories, how campaigns are using the platform, and the ever-evolving relationship between social media and journalism. Hamby also discussed the media platforms young people are using to receive their news, which presidential candidates are using the Snapchat platform most effectively to connect with potential voters, the viability of Donald Trump’s campaign, journalists and Twitter, and other topics. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on September 29, 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School.

Jonathan Capehart, a member of The Washington Post editorial board, writer for the PostPartisan blog, and MSNBC contributor, discussed the parallels between the Black Lives Matter and marriage equality movements, the role of the media, and the 2016 election. Capehart also addressed, among other topics, critiques of the Black Lives Matter movement, the role of the courts in the legislative process, the role of activists and mass movements in effecting change, voter suppression laws, and the Kim Davis controversy. This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded on September 22, 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Bob Schieffer, Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow, veteran CBS reporter and former moderator of “Face the Nation,” discusses the corrosive effects of money in politics and his outlook for the 2016 presidential election. Hear Schieffer discuss campaign finance reform, the presidential debates, campaign advertising and more in the full audio recording of this Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event recorded September 15, 2015 at Harvard Kennedy School. 

Wesley Lowery, reporter at The Washington Post, discusses his extensive coverage of Ferguson, Missouri, and its lessons for the media. Lowery, who spoke at the Shorenstein Center in February 2015, explains how he used social media and first person testimony to show a Ferguson beyond the violence that was aired repeatedly on television news. Lowery shares lessons for media outlets, including engaging people on the platforms they use, empowering them to tell their own stories, and responding to audience feedback. Also featuring Michele Norris, NPR host and special correspondent, and Spring 2015 Joan Shorenstein Fellow.

Jackie Calmes, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Spring 2015) and national correspondent for The New York Times, introduces her new discussion paper examining the increasing influence of conservative media on the Republican Party's agenda. Calmes found that beyond the big names and outlets such as Limbaugh and Fox, smaller local personalities also exert significant influence over listeners and politicians. This influence is troubling to leaders in the Republican Party, who Calmes interviewed extensively for the paper. She argues that today's conservative media now shapes the agenda of the party, pushing it to the far right – at the expense of its ability to govern and pick presidential nominees.

David Weinberger, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Spring 2015) and senior researcher at Harvard’s Berkman Center, introduces his newly-published discussion paper exploring the successes, challenges and opportunities for news organizations using APIs. An API (application programming interface) enables websites and applications to talk to each other and efficiently share data and functionality across sites and platforms. In this podcast, Weinberger provides both practical recommendations for creating open APIs and a vision for a future of online news where open APIs become commonplace – enabling a new era of interoperability and shareability across the Web.

William E. Buzenberg, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Spring 2015) and former Executive Director of the Center for Public Integrity, introduces his newly-published discussion paper, "Anatomy of a Global Investigation: Collaborative, Data-Driven, Without Borders". Buzenberg's paper explores the need for and impact of international collaborations between news outlets. Buzenberg argues that although our world – and its resulting news stories – have become increasingly more globalized in nature, from finance to the environment to crime, most news outlets still find their scope restricted by nation-state borders and thinly-spread foreign correspondents.

Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic and Farnaz Fassihi, a senior writer at The Wall Street Journal, discuss the changing nature of reporting on conflict and terrorism in the Middle East. Goldberg, who spoke in November 2014, and Fassihi, who spoke in March 2015, explore the heightened security risks to correspondents in the Middle East, why the situation has changed, how coverage of the region suffers when journalists aren’t able to report from the ground, and how moments of hope and positivity can still be found in an otherwise traumatic environment.  

Highlights from Shorenstein Center talks by two key BuzzFeed staff members: Ben Smith, editor-in-chief; and Miriam Elder, world editor. Smith, who spoke in February 2014, and Elder, who spoke in September 2014, discuss some of the strategies employed by BuzzFeed as it has grown from a site known for lists, quizzes and cat videos into a global news organization. They discuss the importance of social media and mobile traffic for modern media organizations, details of BuzzFeed’s international expansion plans and recruitment of foreign correspondents, the business model, and more.