A philosophical exploration of this month’s biggest news stories.
Philosophical Currents is a monthly conversation between philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein and journalist Ashley Thornberg. It is a non-adversarial and accessible journey through the parts of the news that always seems to get left behind: the assumptions we take for granted.

Meet Our Hosts

Jack Russell Weinstein
Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Dakota. For the last fifteen years, Jack has been the host of Prairie Public’s Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life. Originally from New York City, he is the author of three books, and is an amateur triathlete and a hobbyist baker.

Ashley Thornberg
Producer and host for Prairie Public’s Main Street. Ashley is an Edward R. Murrow regional award winner. Her interview passion and good humor comes through in all of her discussions. She started her career teaching and writing outside of Paris. Now based in North Dakota, Ashley practices and teaches yoga.
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Most Recent Episode

“Responsible News Reporting and Populism”
How do we know which news reporting is reliable? Why do amateur bloggers have different standards of accountability than major news organizations? On this episode, Jack and Ashley explore the role of populism in media, why some leaders are falsely dubbed as representatives of the people, and how to untangle the hints we can use to identify who to trust and not to.
Episode Archive
Philosophical Currents is recorded as a segment of the Prairie Public radio news magazine Main Street.