Citizens To Discuss America's Place In The World At National Issues Convention In Philadelphia; Convention To Culminate In PBS Special

12/18/2002

From: Sara Hope Franks, 703-998-2175 Geneva Ferrando, 202-354-8230

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 18 -- More than 325 Americans, a scientific random sample of the nation, will convene in Philadelphia January 10-12 to engage in meaningful dialogue about America's role in the world. A key component of the National Issues Convention, hosted by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, is a Deliberative Opinion Poll (DOP), which will gauge participants' attitudes and beliefs about how Americans affect -- and are affected by -- world events.

The convention is the kick-off event for By the People: America in the World, a 16-month program designed to help Americans better understand how they see themselves in relation to the rest of the world and to stimulate discussion of the country's role in world events. The goal is to initiate a continuous, informed public dialogue on international affairs that will be continued in communities around the country.

"With the National Issues Convention, we want to increase awareness of and interest in international issues among all Americans," said Dan Werner, president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. "Citizens from across the country who in their diversity and differences actually reflect the nation will be in Philadelphia to explore different aspects of the international issues that so profoundly affect our daily lives."

The citizen-delegates, recruited by the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley, will participate in a Deliberative Opinion Poll developed by James S. Fishkin, director of the Center for Deliberative Polling at the University of Texas. The DOP will illustrate the values and opinions of an informed citizenry on U.S. and international affairs. It will track the changes in the participants' values and opinions before and after taking part in interactive policy dialogue and information sessions with other delegates, policy makers and government leaders. "The deliberative poll provides a picture of what the public would think about the issues if it became more informed," said Fishkin.

A live two-hour PBS special on January 12, the final day of the convention, will feature discussions among the citizen-delegates, elected leaders and policy experts moderated by Jim Lehrer, anchor and executive editor of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

The findings of the Deliberative Opinion Poll will be announced at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on January 13.

The original National Issues Convention, held in Austin, Texas, in 1996, succeeded in raising awareness about the important national issues at the heart of that year's presidential election. As USA Today then reported, "Proponents and critics alike...agree the convention and hundreds of smaller focus groups held across the country this year will help educate participants and uplift the national dialogue."

"By the People is the natural extension of what we started in Austin," said Werner. "However, this time we are able to go beyond a single event and include program elements that allow us to build and sustain public interest in America's role in the world."

National Issues Forums Research in collaboration with the Kettering Foundation and By the People will provide background information for the citizen-delegates. The materials outline public policy issues and several perspectives or approaches to addressing each issue. The information provided offers choices that reflect widely held concerns and principles.

A number of local public broadcasting stations and a network of participating alliance organizations will be working with By the People over the next year. These alliance organizations are the League of Women Voters, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, local chapters of the World Affairs Council, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, the National Issues Forums, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the American Library Association and CityCares. Other civic and community organizations are expected to join in as By the People gets further underway.

Throughout the program's duration, By the People will work to increase interest in international affairs. It will provide resources for continuous education including a Web site to be launched in January, special local programming to address international issues, additional national broadcasts and grants for programs in local communities.

By the People has initial funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It will be simulcast on HDNet, and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.) will produce its own program for later broadcast.

Formed in 1981, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (M/LP) produces the nightly PBS broadcast, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and publishes the Online NewsHour Web site, which includes Online NewsHour Extra, a Web site for high school students. In 2000, M/LP produced PBS's coverage of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and the highly acclaimed specials, "Debating Our Destiny," "PBS Debate Night" and "Time to Choose - A PBS/NPR Voter's Guide" on PBS. In 2001, M/LP launched a series of portraits of modern first ladies with "Lady Bird," a biography of Mrs. Lyndon Johnson and brought David Hare's play "Via Dolorosa" to public broadcasting.

Journalists who wish to cover the National Issues Convention should contact Katharine McFall at 202-354-8262.