From the Crimean War of 1853 to Russia’s war inUkraine, journalists, reporters, and the media have shaped the public’s understanding of war. But do the stories we read and the photos we see provide an impartial picture of the wars they document? As the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah explained in his 2022 Foreign Policy piece, certain aspects of American war coverage—reliance on government sources and incentives to simplify geopolitics as battles between good and evil—have long compelled news organizations to tilt toward military action.

In this archival episode of None Of The Above, host of WNYC’s On The Media Brooke Gladstone and Slate’s “War Stories” columnist Fred Kaplan, are interviewed by Mark at the American Academy in Rome. Together, in these excerpts from that conversation, they unpack the media’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine War and the biases which influence how the media understand and depict these conflicts.

Many have argued that NATO, the transatlantic alliance forged at the dawn of the Cold War, is merely a vestige of another era. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine thrust NATO back into the spotlight, and reignited debates about the value and strategic imperatives of America’s alliances. With a distinguished career of over three decades in the United States Navy, Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and the Balkans. He has since become an author of 10 nonfiction books and two novels.

In this episode, Admiral Stavridis talks about his motivations for venturing into the world of fiction, and the value of his novels as cautionary tales about the threats facing the nation. Drawing on historical parallels and his professional experience, he offers lessons for foreign policy leaders, discusses the value of NATO, and explores the transformative impact of technology on warfare.

In December 2023, South Africa brought human rights law into the fold of the Israel-Hamas war when it filed a genocide case against Israel in the World Court. South Africa’s unprecedented move sparked conversation surrounding the line between collateral damage and indiscriminate bombing campaigns.

In this extended cut of a recent episode of None of the Above, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah sits down with Kenneth Roth, who was executive director of Human Rights Watch for more than three decades. He shares his perspectives on Israeli violence enacted against Gazans, South Africa’s arguments to the World Court, the legal application of genocide, and international law.