Behind The Lens episode 109: Slow news year

More ITEP requests from Folgers. Emails reveal more about NOPD's use of facial recognition. And a look back at The Lens' coverage of everything that was 2020.

This week on Behind the Lens, the Orleans Parish School Board and the New Orleans City Council consider six highly controversial property tax exemptions for Folgers. The tax exemption requests, which are worth roughly $25 million over 10 years, come as the city and the schools are facing ongoing fiscal uncertainty from the COVID-19 crisis.

New emails obtained by the ACLU shed more light on NOPD’s use of facial recognition over several years. 

And a look back at the big stories of 2020.

Our guests this week are government and cultural economy reporter Michael Isaac Stein, education reporter Marta Jewson, and The Lens editor, Charles Maldonado.

Behind The Lens is available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Play and Stitcher. And we broadcast the show on community radio stations 102.3 FM WHIV LP in Mid-City and 90.3 FM WAMF-LP in the Marigny.

Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman Rovira has been in media for 35 years, and is currently the podcast host and producer for Behind The Lens. Heldman served as executive director at Aspen Public Radio, an NPR affiliate, where she launched four weekly news, public affairs, and cultural affairs programs. She has been a guest lecturer at Tulane University, is a frequent guest and moderator for the Aspen Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute.