The paper files largely consist of correspondence, copies of Berkman's "Media
Musings" in Milwaukee's Shepherd Express alternative newspaper, publications and
articles, and clipping files. The collection also includes Berkman's 1963
dissertation, as well as various reports, including information about the work of
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Minority Task Force on which Berkman
served.
The radio broadcasts, largely Wisconsin Public Radio recordings, cover a wide variety
of local and national topics, many of which concern meta-analysis of media coverage
of events. Most of the electronic recordings in the collection are of Berkman's
Media Talk show on Wisconsin Public Radio
(2003-2006), which took a weekly look at how issues such as Global Warming,
Hurricane Katrina, the 2003 Iraq War, the 2004 presidential election, and the Judith
Miller/Scooter Libby intelligence disclosure scandal were covered by national and
Wisconsin media. Berkman also frequently guest-hosted for fellow WPR correspondents
Eric Vonn, Joy Cardin, and Ben Merens; as befitting Berkman's speciality, most of
these shows also dealt with media and political issues, such as the makeup of the
African-American vote, the Wisconsin Primary's effect on Super Tuesday 2004, and
U.S. Energy policy. Both of these shows often featured prominent guests from the
media and political worlds, including Kathleen Parker, Terry Neal, Eugene Kane,
James Wolcott, and Chris Bowers, as well as local Wisconsin journalists and
activists such as Tim Cuprisin, Bill Lueders, Craig Gilbert, Mordecai Lee, and Stan
Stojkovic. A small number of electronic recordings are of shows on which Berkman
appeared as a guest himself, mostly as part of a weekly media panel on the Eric Vonn
show.
The audio cassettes mainly consist of Media Talk
broadcasts. There are several cassettes that consist of shows that Berkman hosted
and Berkman being a guest on the Kathleen Dunn Show and the Ben Merens Show. Topics
discussed on the shows include the Jesse Anderson case, Jeffrey Dahmer case, Laurie
Bembenek, Second Amendment, media influence on society, quality of journalism, labor
union issues, and politics.
The videocassette consists of an episode of the show Conservative Forum. As the guest on the show, Berkman discussed his
views on the United States' military presence in the world.
