LOCAL NEWS
Co-produced by Lumiere Productions and Thirteen/WNET, New York
October 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6 2001

This unprecedented series looks at how race, community, ethics, and ratings collide in a local network news station. We find out what happens behind the scenes when a third place newsroom in Charlotte, North Carolina, tries to climb in the ratings race while trying to offer quality news. In a gripping episodic series, LOCAL NEWS explores fundamental questions about journalism, ethics, and community.

Using Local News proactively, the Television Race Initiative (TRI) can encourage an exchange that it is not triggered by a controversy, and that invites many players to step back and collectively examine new possibilities. TRI is working in association with Roundtable, Inc on the ambitious public engagement campaign that is designed to offer this PBS broadcast as an unprecedented opportunity to communities everywhere. Through action plans, facilitated dialogue, and other forms of sustainable problem solving between community activists and the media entities that serve them, we look to implement strategic activities.

In addition, TRI will assess, publish and distribute promising practices for using Local News in other communities well into the future. TRI does not claim that Local News will provide a quick fix for the myriad problems that face broadcasters and diverse communities, but it does offer a timely and engaging tool for understanding and addressing them.

For a series companion discussion guide, call 415-553-2841; or write triadmin@pov.org.

For more information about the series, go to http://www.pbs.org/wnet/insidelocalnews/ or http://www.roundtablemedia.com.

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