Making Contact
Frequencies of Change Media
"Making Contact" digs into the story beneath the story—contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. Produced by Frequencies of Change Media (FoC Media), the award-winning radio show and podcast examines the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground, building a more just world through narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the environment, labor, economics, health, governance, and arts and culture.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 15, 2012 • 29min
Farming Underwater: Steve Mello's Story
Farmer Steve Mello has put down roots in “The Delta” in central California. But climate change is threatening the levees which protect Delta farms. Can we defend our farms from the impacts coming with climate change?
May 8, 2012 • 29min
Mexico's Drug War: The Politics of Violence
On this edition, political science professor David Shirk sheds light on the history and politics of the war on drugs in Mexico. And, an emerging movement in Mexico points to how both Mexicans and Americans can play a role in creating change.
May 1, 2012 • 29min
Mending the Past: International Truth and Reconciliation
After Apartheid, after genocide and after civil wars—how do nations, or people who’ve been pitted against each other, resolve their differences and live together in peace? We host a round table discussion on reconciliation with community organizers from Serbia, South Africa, Azerbaijan, and Sudan.
Apr 24, 2012 • 29min
Police Tape: From Rodney King to Aiyana Jones
It’s been 20 years since four white police officers were cleared of unlawfully beating Rodney King in Los Angeles. But we might never have heard of Rodney King had it not been for an amateur cameraman who caught the whole thing on tape. On this edition, we hear how video cameras have changed the way we see the police.
Apr 18, 2012 • 29min
Bigger Than Hip-Hop: Youth Speakin' for Themselves
Spoken word. It’s poetry…it’s hip-hop…and increasingly, it’s the chosen means of expression for today’s youth. On this edition, to celebrate National Poetry month, we bring you performances by the poets and students of Youth Speaks, from their annual event in honor of another master orator, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Apr 6, 2012 • 29min
Justice in the Home: Domestic Workers Re-define the Labor Movement
With the passage of New York’s Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010, workers are now organizing in California and other states to win basic rights and protections long denied to this labor force. On this edition, we look at past and present struggles of domestic workers.
Apr 3, 2012 • 29min
Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security ENCORE
Honey bees help pollinate 1 in every 3 bites we eat. But they’re fighting to survive, in a world filled with pesticides and parasites. We’ll learn about colony collapse disorder and hear from beekeepers, researchers, and gardeners who are trying to protect the honey bee.
Mar 27, 2012 • 29min
Cities Underwater: Venice and New Orleans Seek Solutions
We’ve all seen how high water devastated New Orleans. But another historic Jewel, Venice, Italy, is struggling to plan for sea level rise. On this edition, Producer Zoe Sullivan takes us to both Venice and New Orleans, to look at some creative solutions they’re trying, and what other coastal cities might do as the effects of climate change set in.
Mar 20, 2012 • 29min
Justice For Sale: Glenn Greenwald on the Rule of Law
Author Glenn Greenwald talks about his book, ‘With Liberty and Justice for Some.’ Americans claim to live under the rule of law; that no one is above our system of justice. But as we witness more exceptions to that rule, there are growing doubts that fairness is a value we as a nation, still hold dear.
Mar 13, 2012 • 29min
Ban the Box! The Campaign for Post-Prison Employment
It’s not even the crime that counts sometimes. It’s that little box on an application that asks you to reveal if you have a criminal history. Checking that box can mean the difference between failure and success. We look at the nationwide movement to ‘ban-the-box’, and make criminal histories less of a stigma.
