NPR ombud sounds off on "Planet Money" interview

NPR ombudsman, Alicia Shepard, walks readers through a heated NPR podcast for Planet Money in a new blog post. 

The podcast, controversial because of host Adam Davidson's unprofessional interview tactics last month with TARP watchdog Elizabeth Warren, was the cause of numerous listener comments via e-mails and voice mail messages. 

The Planet Money blog also received a record- 788 total comments about the interview.

From the post:

"It's important for journalists to treat whomever they are interviewing with respect -- and to keep their opinions to themselves. Davidson did neither. Instead, Davidson conveyed that he didn't think Warren was doing her job properly. He admits that his anger was misdirected. "

Colleges work to trim costs

Officials at Harvard University want students who dream of going to their school to know it's an affordable option.
But as students struggle to pay for the rising cost of college education, places like Harvard may seem unattainable.
That's why Harvard's president, Drew Faust, recently announced a plan to overhaul the school's financial aid policies.
He wants to make his university more affordable for middle income families through additional grant aid, eliminating student loans and the removal of home equity from the financial aid qualifying process.
Harvard is the latest school to offer a relief plan for students.
This past weekend, Duke University pledged a series of changes to its financial aid process that will ease the burden on the middle class.
To read USA Today's full report click here.