Dialogue on WUOT

With a recent flood of information about COVID-19, it's hard to know what's true and what's not. And as we head to the presidential polls in just 6 months, it's never been more important to understand if and how information has been manipulated. One study suggests Tennesseeans were among those most likely to retweet Russian disinformation during the 2016 presidential election. WUOT News took an in-depth look at how and why false information spreads on the internet with three disinformation experts. 

The novel coronavirus dubbed COVID-19 has upended our daily lives in ways thought unlikely or impossible just a month ago. Though the virus has affected many parts of our lives, it's had profound effects in two areas: health and economics.

In this edition of Dialogue, we explore how COVID is being studied in the health profession, what it tells us about public health and what more health care providers want to know -- and need to know -- about this new illness.

On March’s Dialogue, WUOT’s Chrissy Keuper began a series of conversations about affordable housing with a discussion about housing for the homeless. Her guests were Bruce Spangler and Mary Beth Ramey of Volunteer Ministry Center and Chris Smith and Lisa Higginbotham of the University of Tennessee’s Social Work Office of Research and Public Service. 

We're at the dawn of year two for Governor Bill Lee. The political novice elected in November 2018 got an education in the ups and downs of state government in year one, notching victories (a school voucher program, money for career and technical education) and seeing some controveries (the tumultuous vote that secured the voucher program, scandals that forced House Speaker Glen Casada to setp down).

On December's Dialogue, WUOT's Chrissy Keuper took a look at the 'Ayn Gharandal archaeological field school in Jordan. Our guests were Erin Darby of the University of Tennessee’s Department of Religious Studies, Robert Darby of the UT School of Art, and students Ashley Cornell and Symantha Gregorash. They spoke about the project and what it’s like running a field school in the desert:

The Second World War has been fought many tims over, on the silver screen and on television. One count puts the number of World War II films at 1,300. They have been produced by every major country involved in the conflict. And they cover many genres, from action to romance, docudrama to satire, filmmakers have used the war as a vehicle for all kinds of stories, some more successfully than others.

On a special edition of Dialogue, we discuss the fate of Knoxville's country music scene in the 20th century. One old adage is that country music was born in Bristol, raised in Knoxville, and then it went somewhere else to evolve or die or sell out, depending on who's talking...

But how and why did such a vibrant and popular country music scene leave our city?

People believe all kinds of things about the Constitution and the rights it offers. And they say so - online, on the editorial page and on cable TV. But even the nation’s top legal and judicial minds don’t agree on what the Constitution means. Many times, the document itself is vague, creating even more confusion. As Americans try to sort out 21st century disputes using an 18th century text, what do you need to know to be better informed about the Constitution?

In his first State of the State message, Governor Bill Lee asked for a modified voucher program called education savings accounts. The General Assembly granted his wish, but not in the form Lee originally laid out.

Today on Dialogue, we’re going to dive deep into education savings accounts. We’ll learn what is in the plan and how it may work. We’ll also look at why this victory for Lee and school choice advocates doesn’t spell the end of the debate.