MEDIA

Why Do Radio Stations Begin With 'K' or 'W'?

Bureaucracy works in mysterious ways.

When MAD Magazine Got in Trouble for Printing Counterfeit Money

In 1967, the magazine printed a $3 bill as a joke—but change machines in Vegas thought it was the real thing.

The Next Job Being Taken Over by Robots? TV News Anchor

Say hello to Erica.

Photo illustration by Lucy Quintanilla, Mental Floss. Newspaper clippings: Washington County Historical Society. Images: iStock

A Colorful History of The Prison Mirror, America's Oldest Continuously Operated Prison Newspaper

Funded by members of the infamous James-Younger gang, the 19th century penal paper was the first to be produced solely by inmates, for inmates.

A Dreamy History of Teen Idol Magazines, Just for YOU!

"See Matt Dillon Eat Pizza!"

Michael Stroud/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

5 Times Student Newspapers Broke Big Stories

The future of journalism looks bright.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, via Wikipedia // Public Domain

The Bitter Race to Publish America's First Magazine

Benjamin Franklin missed out by just a few days.

Mississippi Newspaper Transforms Crime Reports Into Playful Haikus

The Enterprise-Tocsin's police blotter just got a lot more artful.

A lithograph of "ruby amphitheater," as it was printed in The Sun.

Beavers and Bat People: The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

In the summer of 1835, New York's 'The Sun' newspaper confirmed there was life on the lunar surface—including bat-people—and readers believed it.

Return to The Crypt: Jack Davis Resurrects the Crypt-Keeper

When a Congressman Asked the FTC to Fact Check The New York Times' Slogan

Is "All the News That's Fit to Print" false advertising?

New Magazine Wants To Show Young Girls They Can Do Anything

A new print magazine called Kazoo is uniting top female artists, chefs, writers, and scientists for a single purpose: To inspire young girls to be their true selves.

This Online Game Lets You 'Play' With Your NPR News Updates

Passionate about public radio? Create your own story.

Experience The New York Times in Virtual Reality

Their first project, called ‘The Displaced,’ is a 10-minute introduction to the lives of three refugee children in Lebanon, South Sudan, and eastern Ukraine.

11 of the FBI’s Most Amusing Bank Robber Nicknames

The nicknames are supposed to be a tool for helping catch crooks, but it seems as if they’re really cooked up to keep special agents amused.

Einstein's "Horrendously Strenuous" First U.S. Visit

"I had to let myself be shown around like a prize ox...it's a miracle I endured it."

15 New Uses for Old VHS Tapes

1980s media never dies.

A Brief History of CNN’s First Day on the Air, 35 Years Ago

The 24-hour news cycle may seem like an age-old concept. But it was popularized by CNN just 35 years ago.

When Time Predicted Cats Were the Hot New Thing

In 1981, Time Magazine spotted a hot new trend: cats.

11 Delightfully Dated '80s Magazines

From "The Space Gamer" to "Today's Woodworker," we've got some gems. Here are some magazines from the '80s.

15 of the Nichiest Niche Magazines

There’s a magazine for that.

5 Strange Movie Terms—Explained!

Here are five storytelling terms to store away for movie trivia night.

Scientists Recreate Dreams With YouTube Videos

Mind reading used to belong to the realms of sci-fi books and comic strips. But in 2011, a team of scientists from UC Berkeley discovered a way to construct YouTube videos from a viewer’s brain activity.

The Names of 34 International Sesame Street Co-Productions

When Sesame Street debuted in 1969, many producers, teachers, and government officials from different countries contacted the Children’s Television Workshop about airing versions of Sesame Street within their own countries.

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