Knock, Knock

With the midterms approaching, Democrats and Republicans are fighting to control the national conversation. This week, On the Media looks at how to assess the predictions about a blue or red wave this November. Republican messaging — especially from the White House — has emphasized the dangers presented by the so-called caravan. How did that caravan begin? And, what is the history behind the documents that regulate international travel? Plus, how transgender rights activists in Massachusetts are deploying a counter-intuitive door-to-door tactic. 1. Clare Malone [ @ClareMalone ], senior political writer for FiveThirtyEight, on the electoral reporting tropes that dominate midterm coverage. Listen . 2. Sarah Kinosian [ @skinosian ], freelance reporter, on the origins of the current Central American caravan. Listen . 3. John Torpey [ @JohnCTorpey ], historian at the CUNY Graduate Center, on the history of passports. Listen . 4. David Broockman [ @dbroockman ], political scientist at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Matt Collette [ @matt_pc ], producer of WNYC's Nancy, on the activism surrounding a transgender rights referendum in Massachusetts. Listen . On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.