National Radio Project

One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, yet in pop culture accurate portrayals of real people s stories are rare. In this show we hear about representations of abortion and reproductive decision-making in popular culture, and why those stories really matter.

Who's watching you? Nowadays it seems everyone wants to get their hands on our personal data. From the FBI to the welfare department, to some of the country's biggest retailers. On this edition, we take a closer look at the world of surveillance.

Featuring

• Hasan Elahi, artist and Associate Professor at the University of Maryland
• Charles Duhigg, New York Times journalist and author of “The Power of Habit”
• Jodie Berger, public benefits lawyer
• John Gilliom, Professor of Political Science at Ohio University
• Kaaryn Gustafson, welfare lawyer and University of Connecticut teacher

More than 150,000 people sign up for the US military every year. Their reasons for joining vary widely, from those hoping for financial help through college, to others looking to follow in the footsteps of parents or grandparents.

In recent years getting into the military has gotten harder, with criminal records and low academic scores proving the biggest barriers. As hard as getting into the military might be, getting out may be harder still.

On this edition of Making Contact we’ll hear radio adaptations of Michelle Mason’s film, “Breaking Ranks,” produced by Screen Siren Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada and of “Deserter” by Rick Rowley, from Big Noise Films and PM Press.

Featuring: 

• Jeremy Hinzman, Kyle Snyder, Joshua Key, Ryan Johnson, Brandon Hughey, US military personnel who refused to return to Iraq.
• Sergeant Brian Jensen, military recruiter.

They say a smart athlete will use their head. But what if using your head cost you everything?

That’s a question being asked in locker rooms the world over. Whether it’s boxing, hockey, or soccer, it seems that head injuries are finally being taken seriously.

In the United States, lawsuits brought by players, as well as a body of scientific evidence, has lead to growing awareness about the impact American football has on players’ brains.

And now a similar debate has kicked off across the Atlantic among players and fans of the sport that American football evolved from: rugby. On this special edition of Making Contact, producer Luke Eldridge brings us to the UK to hear how rugby is dealing with the issue of head injuries.

Featuring:

• Lewis Moody, former rugby player
• Dr Michael Grey, motor neuroscience physiologist at the University of Birmingham
• Peter Robinson, father of Ben Robinson
• David Barnes, Rugby Director of the Rugby Players’ Association in England