About this episode
If millions of Americans have access to classified documents, can we really call them secrets? On this week's On the Media, a former Pentagon official explains how America’s bloated classification system came to be. Plus, a look at the stories we tell about Baby Boomers, and how our country might change after they’re gone. 1. Oona Hathaway [ @oonahathaway ], professor at Yale Law School and former special counsel at the Pentagon, on the complicated nature of classified documents. Listen . 2. Noah Smith [ @VildeHaya ], contributing reporter for The Washington Post , on how a video game led to leaks of military documents. Listen . 3. Philip Bump [ @pbump ], national columnist at The Washington Post , on his latest book 'The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America .' Listen . 4. Brian Lehrer [ @BrianLehrer ], host of WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show , on the news events that defined generations . Listen . Music: Passing Time by John Renbourn Atlantic City by Randy Newman Eye Surgery by Thomas Newman Young at Heart by Brad Mehldau Your Mother Should Know by Brad Mehldau When I'm 64 by Fred Hersch 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.