Most episodes of On the Media eventually are overtaken by events, but not our episodes about poverty,

because of course absolutely nothing has changed since they were first broadcast.

We need to have a frank conversation about the way that our lives directly contribute to poverty in America.

The idea that poor people are lazy.

There is no misperception about poor people that is greater.

There needs to be a reason why are we unwilling to share with it.

And I just kind of looked at him. He was like, this is yours.

From our three services, combined, we collected this much money. This is 1,000.

Instantly, I started crying.

You work hard. You get disciplined inside yourself. You marry and have children. In that order, okay? You do all of those things. You play by the rules. You will make it in America, and luck has nothing to do with it.

That's not true, sir.

Join us to bust some poverty myths after this.

From WNYC in New York, this is on the media.

Bob Garfield is out this week.

I'm Brooke Gladstone.

About a year and a half ago, we produced a series dissecting the myths about poverty that empower our nation to be parsimonious to the poor,

for their own good. This, despite the fact that according to a new paper just released by the University

of Chicago,

the nation's top five anti-poverty programs,

Social Security, Supplemental Security Income,

the program commonly known as welfare, housing assistance, and food stamps,

really do relieve deep poverty.

...