He has been The Baltimore Sun's TV/media critic since 1989. He has a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.A. in specialized reporting (on popular culture) from the University of Wisconsin. He is the author of The Jews of Prime Time (Brandeis University Press, 2003), a look at 50 years of Jewish identity on network TV. His writings on TV and media have appeared in such publications as Esquire magazine and American Journalism Review. He has been with WYPR-FM (88.1) public radio since 1994 and is a regular guest on CNN's media review show, "Reliable Sources."