The Humanist Hour #76: Cenk Uygur

Posted on August 1, 2012

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A new episode of the Humanist Hour is available for listening. Keep reading to find out about the guests on this month’s show.

In this month’s podcast, Jes and Todd interview the Young Turks main host and co-founder Cenk Uygur about the relationship between humanism, the media, and politics. Cenk was awarded with the Humanist Media Award at the AHA’s 71st Annual Conference this past June.

Segment 1: Summer fun at Camp Quest

Camp Quest provides an educational adventure shaped by fun, friends and freethought, featuring science, natural wonder and humanist values. Activities vary from year to year and location to location of Camp Quest; however, all of our camps offer a mix of traditional summer camp activities and educational activities related to the Camp Quest mission. Each Camp Quest focuses on the same mission, and there are many similarities from camp to camp. At the same time, each location has its own feel — with different activities, facilities, and people.

Segment 2: Interview with Cenk Uygur

Cenk Uygur is host of The Young Turks on Current TV as well as the host and co-founder of The Young Turks online which is the largest news show on the Internet. The Young Turks on Current TV features Uygur and a group of progressive, outspoken journalists and commentators discussing politics and pop culture in an unscripted, no-holds-barred atmosphere that breaks the mold of traditional cable news programming.

The Young Turks (TYT) online has a verified global audience of more than 30 million views a month and over half a billion total video views of The Young Turks YouTube Channel, making it one of the most watched online news shows covering politics, pop culture and lifestyle.

The Young Turks premiered on Sirius Satellite Radio in the first quarter of 2002 as the platform’s first original program before moving to XM Satellite Radio in 2006. The Young Turks is the flagship show of the TYT Network. TYT Network channels include What the Flick?!, TYT Sports, TYT University and TwenTYTwelve, among others. TYT has also recently launched a show called The Point on a new online-only channel, Town Square, as part of YouTube’s new original channels initiative.

Uygur is the former host of MSNBC Live and has appeared numerous times on CNN, CNN Headline News, E! Entertainment Channel, Al Jazeera, ABC News, Voice of America, NPR and even Fox News Channel. He is one of the most popular bloggers on The Huffington Post, and also a contributor to Daily Kos and Politico.
Uygur is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and Columbia University Law School. He worked as a lawyer, television writer and television host before co-founding The Young Turks.

Segment 3: Humanist Media Award

Photo by: Leslie Zukor

Listen to a clip of Cenk’s acceptance speech from the AHA 71st Annual Conference, where he received the Humanist Media Award.

Links from this month’s episode:

Cenk Uygur / The Young Turks

Official Website: Current.com
The Young Turks Network: TYTNetwork.com

Other Links:

Camp Quest: CampQuest.org
LLS Light the Night: FoundationBeyondBelief.org
American Humanist Association Conference: Save the Date!

Music from this month’s episode (in order of appearance):

Theme Song: “Sound Scientist” by Bill
“Habibi” by Balqis:

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http://www.facebook.com/sue.kocher Sue Kocher

This was a truly excellent and inspiring podcast! Love you, Cenk! Great job, Jes and Todd!
Anonymous

Outstanding person to receive this award, he’s so very deserving of such. Great Podcast.
Bobby Effinger

Nice interview, this was very educational and inspiring
http://kidswithoutgod.com/grow/no-name-calling/ No Name-Calling

[...] Religious Rebuttals Cenk Uygur, creator of the Young Turks, shares his favorite thing about being a rational humanist and also a reason to leave the religion of islam. [hear more of Cenk on the Humanist Hour Podcast #76] [...]
Scott Love

I thought Mr. Uygur made some very good points on the issues of truth in media and the need for campaign reform. I totally support the possible need for a constitutional convention, I wish more people in the forfront of social media and news media would talk more o this subject. Who knows what affect that talk might have on the current establishment.

He did make some other comments though that were not right. I dont know what poll he’s referring to but I don’t know anyone who thought we were in Iraq as a retaliation for 911, especially not our troops.
His comments on religion were completely ignorant of any knowledge of the subject for someone who upholds the need for truth in media. A true humanist, in my opinion wouldn’t mention religion at all. Even then He only degraded the christian religion, I thought he said he grew up muslem?
I thought these side issue comment detracted from what good he said on the topics he is qualified to speak on.