Author | Lightnews

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · 16d

WaPo’s Tom Sietsema announces he is ending his 25-year run as food critic. Can’t wait to see his next course. Tom, along with former casual dining writer Tim Carman, shaped so much of my favorite dining in DC when I lived out east and during visits. wapo.st/46WGWtW

Column | Food critic Tom Sietsema is stepping down — and dropping his anonymity

After a quarter-century of reviewing restaurants, donning disguises and turning down photos, The Post’s food critic is ready for his next course.

wapo.st

Reposted by Ralph Hanson

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · Sep 19

Michael Eisner, who served as CEO of Disney for 21 years and acquired ABC while he was in charge, slams his successor Bob Iger for bending the knee.

Michael Eisner
@Michael Eisner
X.com
Where has all the leadership gone? If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment? The
"suspending indefinitely" of Jimmy Kimmel immediately after the Chairman of the FCC's aggressive yet hollow threatening of the Disney Company is yet another example of out-of-control intimidation. Maybe the Constitution should have said, "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, except in one's political or financial self-interest." By-the-way, for the record, this ex-CEO finds Jimmy Kimmel very talented and funny.
10:17 AM • 9/19/25 • 208K Views

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 11

How can it have been 24 years? Remembering 9/11 #Sept11
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/09/11/h...

How can it have been 24 years? Remembering 9/11 - Living in a Media World

9/11/25 Editor’s note: Today is the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I know better now than to try to show the “Welcome to the Rock” clip from the 9/11-themed musical Come From Away as my pre-cla...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 10

So sorry to hear that Kirk has died. And news is breaking of a school shooting in Colorado. When will we put a stop to this madness.

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 10

Will Kirk's shooting get more attention than the murder of a Minnesota legislator and her husband, and the shooting of another Minnesota legislator and his wife? Does anyone even remember that those things happened? We cannot continue with this level of political violence.

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 9

Follow my 2025 JMC 406 Blogging Students - You'll find both their blogs and their Threads feeds here. #jmc406

www.ralphehanson.com/2025/09/08/f...

Follow my 2025 JMC 406 Blogging Students - Living in a Media World

This fall I’m teaching my Blogging & Commentary writing class, a course I’ve taught in one form or another since the winter of 1988 (Hint: Blogging wasn’t part of the title then…) Here are links to m...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 3

If you go to turn-of-the-previous-century rural cemeteries you will see so many gravestones for children who died of illnesses we now stop with vaccines. It's heartbreaking that we are considering returning to that tragic time.

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 3

Florida, You claim to be a pro-life state and yet by eliminating vaccine mandates for schools you are eliminating one of the most life saving medical developments of the last three centuries! Vaccines depend on near universal use for effectiveness. This will kill children.

wapo.st/4p68Vzy

Florida moves to end all school vaccine mandates, first in nation to do so

Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo criticized school vaccine mandates, which every state has, and likened them to slavery.

wapo.st

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Sep 1

This week my JMC 406 Blogging and Commentary students were asked to do one of their first posts by listing 10 Threads accounts they are following and why. Who would you recommend? (Or people on Bluesky!) Here's my 2025 list:
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/09/01/t...

Ten Threads Accounts to Follow - 2025 Edition - Living in a Media World

This week my JMC 406 Blogging and Commentary students were asked to do one of their first posts by listing 10 Threads accounts they are following and why. You can find my students’ posts using the #JM...

www.ralphehanson.com

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Aug 29

www.ralphehanson.com/2025/08/29/o...

OG Blockbuster Jaws Back in Theaters for 50th Anniversary - Living in a Media World

Jaws, the OG summer blockbuster, is showing for the next week in theaters for its 50th anniversary. You do not want to miss this groundbreaking film on the big screen! Here in Kearney, NE, it’s showin...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Aug 29

Jaws, the OG summer blockbuster, is showing for the next week at The World Theatre for its 50th anniversary. You do not want to miss this groundbreaking film on the big screen! Link in the comments for the backstory on this groundbreaking film.

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Aug 28

62 years ago, MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington. Let freedom ring!
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/08/28/6...

62 years ago, MLK gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. Let freedom ring! - Living in a Media World

Editor’s Note: Rerunning a favorite post this morning. “And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom rin...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Aug 13

I want to buy the movie rights to this article! Radioactive wasp nests found near South Carolina reactor clean-up site.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/s...

‘Hot Wasps’ Found at Nuclear Facility in South Carolina

www.nytimes.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Jul 28

Brad Pitt’s “F1” adds to the pantheon of great racing movies. You can see it this weekend at The World Theatre's big screen for just $5! I also take a look at a number of other recent and vintage racing racing movies you will want to check out as well.
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/07/28/b...

Brad Pitt's "F1" adds to the pantheon of great racing movies - Living in a Media World

This weekend, our local community The World Theatre will be showing Brad Pitt’s Formula One racing movie “F1.” As always, tickets are just $5 with popcorn and soda each available from $1-$3. Bit of a ...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Jul 12

Original 1977 Star Wars gets a rare screening by the British Film Institute. Han shoots first! #StarWars
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/07/12/e...

Everyone's Gone to the Movies - Original Star Wars Edition - Living in a Media World

Editor’s Note: We’re going to have two or three summer movie blog posts coming up in the next week. For this one we’re looking at a rare screening of the original non-special-edition Star Wars. Origin...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Jul 11

Now that would be fun...

Disney Prime Video + @disneyprimevideo.bsky.social · Jul 6

Smurfs (2025)

A blurry blob that may or may not be a Smurf waves to you in a field of wheat. Frankly there may not be any Smurfs in this movie.

Reposted by Ralph Hanson

Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · Jul 9

I talked with @sarahellison about the facially absurd situation in which a right-wing news outlet is now in business with a company named after and heavily invested in by the president of the United States while regularly reporting about him: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump’s social media company strikes deal with friendly news outlet

Truth+, a new streaming service attached to the Truth Social platform, will expand globally, featuring Trump-friendly Newsmax.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Jun 17

Media giants doing the come together/separation dance.
Warner Bros. Discovery following the steps of News Corp/Fox and Viacom/CBS/Paramount. #medialiteracy
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/06/17/m...

Media giants doing the come together/separation dance - Living in a Media World

Where have I been? Busy end of the semester and then a fair bit of traveling with family and on the motorcycle. Still have a fair amount of travel coming up, but will try to keep up better here. Warne...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · May 15

The FCC is quietly contemplating a fundamental restructuring of all broadcasting in the United States, via a new DRM-based standard for digital television equipment, enforced by a private “security authority” with control over licensing, encryption, and compliance.

Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · May 15

This proposal is a tax on American TV viewers, forcing them to buy new, DRM-laden TVs to continue accessing a public resource.

The FCC Must Reject Efforts to Lock Up Public Airwaves

President Trump’s attack on public broadcasting has attracted plenty of deserved attention, but there’s a far more technical, far more insidious policy change in the offing—one that will take away Ame...

www.eff.org

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · May 8

Students using AI to write papers for class is one of the big crises facing higher education. Their goal is to complete the assignment with the least effort, not actually learn the material. And the AI generally creates a poor answer that doesn't actually meet the assignment.

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Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Apr 28

Extended threads from @jayrosen.bsky.social are always worth paying attention to.

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · Apr 26

"When in doubt, draw a distinction." 🧵

In grad school one of my professors told me that. Some of the best advice I have ever received.

This is a thread about the key distinctions I use in my work.

I had a version of it posted at the other joint, which I revised a bit to make this one.

Ready? 1/

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Apr 27

Want to put together an online assignment dealing with student free speech? Start with this case study looking at a high school newspaper that got shut down for stories about LGBTQ+ students. #CommunicationLaw

www.ralphehanson.com/2025/04/27/f...

Free Speech and High School Students - Who Controls What Gets Printed? - Living in a Media World

It’s never good for a high school when a reporter or editor of the school paper is writing a commentary for the Washington Post. Generally, when that happens, the school administration or school board...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Apr 26

The Way

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Apr 25

So aside from being a completely made-up horror/comedy movie, how close is Death of a Unicorn to reality? Surprisingly close... #DeathOfAUnicorn
www.ralphehanson.com/2025/04/25/h...

How "Death of a Unicorn" connects with reality - Living in a Media World

So there is a strange, violent, bloody, incredibly funny movie out this spring called Death of a Unicorn starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant. Dear Wife and I saw it Thurs...

www.ralphehanson.com

Ralph Hanson @ralphehanson.bsky.social · Apr 21

And who is Sylvia Poggioli? #popefrancis
www.npr.org/people/21010...

Sylvia Poggioli

Sylvia Poggioli is senior European correspondent for NPR's foreign desk covering political, economic, and cultural news in Italy, the Vatican, Western Europe and the Balkans.

www.npr.org