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BackStory

286: Historians in the Press: Why Citation by the Media is Important, Even if it Rarely Happens

BackStory

BackStory

History, Education

4.72.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2019

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This is a special episode that’s a little bit different from our usual programming.

For several years, BackStory hosts have appeared on WBUR’s Here & Now, discussing a range of topics that have been in the news. Last week, Nathan and Ed appeared on the program to talk about America’s relationship with tobacco. They relied on the research of Sarah Milov, an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia, whose book, The Cigarette: A Political History, comes out in October.

As you may have seen reported in various media outlets, neither Nathan, nor Ed credited Prof. Milov on the air for her work. For that, we’re deeply sorry.

So in this special segment, Prof. Milov joins Nathan and Ed to talk about what happened last week, as well as broader issues facing historians who are regularly in the media.

Image: A word cloud of this episode's transcript.

*In the conversation, Nathan and Sarah Milov refer to the following historians: Nan Enstad, James Downs, Danielle McGuire and Silke-Maria Weineck. Thanks to Jessica Marie Johnson for providing hosts with some background reading on the topic.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Major funding for backstory is provided by an anonymous donor, the National Endowment

0:05.5

for the Humanities, and the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.

0:10.3

From Virginia Humanities, this is backstory.

0:13.1

The show that explores the history behind the headlines.

0:15.8

I'm Ed Hears.

0:16.8

And I'm Nathan Connolly.

0:18.7

If you're just tuning in, we're historians, and each week, along with our colleagues,

0:22.8

Brian Ballot and Joanne Freeman, we explore the history of one topic that's been in the

0:27.2

news.

0:28.2

But this episode is a bit different.

0:31.2

For several years, backstory's hosts have been invited to appear on WBURs here and

0:36.1

now, and we discuss a broad range of topics that have recently been in the news.

0:41.5

Last week, Ed and I appeared on the program.

0:43.8

The topic was America's relationship to tobacco.

0:47.1

In the segment we relied heavily on the research and scholarship of Sarah Miloff, an assistant

0:51.3

professor of history at the University of Virginia.

0:54.2

Our book, The Sigarette, a political history, comes out in October.

0:58.4

Regrettably, neither Nathan nor I credited Professor Miloff on the air for her work.

1:04.4

That's patently unfair and we're deeply sorry.

1:08.2

So in this special segment, we're grateful to have Professor Miloff join us on the program

1:12.6

to talk about what happened last week, as well as a broader issue involving historians

1:16.5

who regularly appear in the media.

...

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