Citations Needed

Episode 187: Undercover Boss, Uber-Driving CEOs, and the "Empathetic Executive" Schtick

CEOs cosplaying as workers is a self-serving project that distracts from labor abuses. The history dates back to John D. Rockefeller's image cultivation. 'Undercover Boss' TV show aimed to rehabilitate executives during the recession. PR stunts by CEOs often trivialize worker realities. The gig economy narrative hides exploitation and denies workers basic protections. Customers Delivering Justice campaign fights for better pay and working conditions in the delivery industry.

Episode 186: Nativism in Media (Part III) - IMF, NAFTA and Global Inequality By Design

This comprehensive summary explores the negative effects of development initiatives, the post-World War II and post-Cold War economic architecture, the impact of NAFTA on immigration, the consequences of Operation Gatekeeper, global inequality and migration, structural adjustment programs and neoliberal policies, addressing global inequality and migration, and media coverage of trade deals. It highlights how these factors contribute to poverty, displacement, and exploitation in the global south.

Episode 185: Nativism in Media (Part II) - The Artificial Cold War Distinction Between 'Migrants' and 'Refugees'

US immigration policies have historically been influenced by racism, Cold War politics, and economic interests. This episode explores the categorization of immigrants based on arbitrary distinctions, the impact of the Johnson-Reed Act on immigration policies, the racial bias in media narratives, and the shift from Cold War refugees to deserving versus undeserving immigrants. It also delves into the historical racism embedded in immigration laws, the militarization of immigration, and the immigrant rights movements that have fought against deportation. The episode concludes with a discussion on false scarcity and climate-induced migration.

Episode 184 - Nativism in Media Part 1: How Dehumanization and Militarization Manufactured a "Border Crisis"

This episode explores the US immigration crisis, its historical context, media influence, recent developments, policy impact, consequences of border policies, complexities of immigration discourse, impact of borders on society, and reflections on the border crisis. It highlights how the movement of people is not inherently harmful and emphasizes the need to address root causes instead of stigmatizing migrants. The episode also examines the role of borders in perpetuating global inequities and calls for a shift towards understanding migration through human stories.

News Brief: As UPS Strike "Looms," Media Frames Working-Class Revolt as "Threat" to "The Economy"

Negotiations between the Teamsters Union and UPS for the largest private sector bargaining agreement in the US, media coverage of strikes, workers' conditions and media framing, the impact of strikes and potential alliances, the power of labor and the need for accurate coverage, and working conditions and worker perspectives.

News Brief: 2000s Zombie Neoliberalism Lives On in Obama's New Netflix Doc

• Obama has a multi-film documentary deal with Netflix.
• The series is called Working What We Do All Day.
• It premiered a few weeks ago and has caused controversy....

News Brief: "Go Fly Yourself": Marketing 'Sex' and the Great Stewardess Rebellion of the 1970s

• Citations Needed is a podcast that focuses on media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit.
• The hosts of the podcast are Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson.

• Nell McShane Wolfhart, journalist and author, is interviewed about her book "The Great Stewardess Rebellion."
• The book explores how women launched a workplace revolution at 30,000 feet.
• In the 1960s, becoming a stewardess was an aspiration...

Episode 183: AI Hype and the Disciplining of “Creative,” Academic, and Journalistic Labor

• The media often presents an exaggerated narrative of AI's impact on the economy and labor, which serves as a pretext for labor abuses and obscures real harms.
• It is important to assess the real implications of technological advances without accepting the premise that everything will fundamentally change.
• The development of AI research originated after World War II with Alan Turing's work on the imitation game, and major corporate-backed AI ethics organizations emerged in the mid 2010s.
• L...