A behind-the-scenes look at FEMA, distrust, and the making of American Emergency
This preview is based on the episode’s published notes, not the audio itself. Radiolab talks with On the Media co-host Micah Loewinger about the reporting behind American Emergency, a series examining how FEMA became distrusted, criticized, and defunded as disasters grow more extreme.
If you’re deciding whether to press play, this episode looks like a strong pick for listeners interested in journalism, public institutions, and disaster policy. Based on the show notes, it’s not just about FEMA itself, but also about how a major reporting project came together. Radiolab spotlights *On the Media*’s series *American Emergency* and speaks with co-host Micah Loewinger about the origins of the project and the reporting that shaped it. The notes suggest you’ll hear some behind-the-scenes context on how the team investigated an agency “supposed to be there for all of us in the wake of disaster,” along with a couple of surprising moments pulled from the broader story. What seems most compelling here is the tension the episode promises to explore: the ideal of effective government versus the realities of bureaucracy, mismanagement, and deep mistrust of state power. The framing also places FEMA in a timely context, with natural disasters described as becoming more extreme and less predictable. So, if you want a preview of a larger investigative series—and a conversation about why FEMA inspires both hope and frustration—this episode appears to offer that mix. Expect a show-note-promised blend of media craft, institutional history, and questions about what government can and should do in moments of crisis.
About this episode
<p>A little while back, our friends over at On the Media released a gripping and immersive reporting series about FEMA, the agency that is supposed to be there for all of us in the wake of disaster. In <a href="https://link.podtrac.com/2ogq6g7y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>American Emergency</i></a> (https://zpr.io/MtrUmJU3yEMW), OTM investigates how the agency tasked with saving America became distrusted, despised… and defunded.<br><br> Today we talk to <i>On the Media</i> co-host Micah Loewinger about how this project came out, what reporting went into making it happen, and play a couple of fun and truly surprising bits of the story that the OTM team uncovered. And it’s a story that highlights the ideal and promise of good government, right alongside the frustration with bureaucracy and mismanagement, and of course the undercurrent of profound mistrust in governmental power. </p> <p>As natural disasters are getting more extreme and less predictable, this series makes sense of that tangle, and provides a prescient peek into FEMA’s future.</p> <p><i>Special thanks to </i><a href="https://link.podtrac.com/2ogq6g7y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>On the Media</i></a><i> </i>(https://zpr.io/MtrUmJU3yEMW)<i>. </i>To hear Micah in person, talking more about the complex history of FEMA, <a href="https://wnyc.org/events/otm-fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">join him on June 24th at WNYC's The Greene Space</a> (https://wnyc.org/events/otm-fema).</p> <p><i>Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. </i><a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Sign up</i></a><i> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!</i></p> <p><i>Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of </i><a href="http://members.radiolab.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>The Lab</i></a><i> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.</i></p> <p><i>Follow our show on </i><a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Instagram</i></a><i>, </i><a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Twitter</i></a><i> and </i><a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Facebook</i></a><i> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing </i><a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>radiolab@wnyc.org</i></a><i>.</i><br><i>Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.</i></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>