The World
Global Perspective,
Local Impact
The World, the first daily international radio news program created specifically for an American audience, gives listeners an informed take on global events through a vibrant mix of news, features, interviews, and music. Frank and Daneille Vrtar are two such listeners. After hearing "an astonishing report" by The World's Africa correspondent, Amy Costello, about adopting children from Ethiopia, the Dayton, Ohio couple was moved to open their hearts and their lives to two Addis Ababa children. Many months and 24-hour plane flights later, the Vrtar family, including preschooler Danika, embraced 21-month-old Abrehem; they now await the arrival of 10-year-old Hana. "All of this is a direct result of our hearing those segments on The World," the Vrtars say. "What you do at WGBH changes lives." Two million Americans like the Vrtars turn to The World (a WGBH co-production with the BBC and PRI) every week, eager to expand their media universe and their understanding of the world we share.
Smart Radio
Open Source, a live, 89.7 conversation that engages callers, e-mailers, and bloggers worldwide, brought veteran journalist Christopher Lydon's distinctive voice back to WGBH this year. "The most democratic dialogue I've ever been invited to join," one public affairs-loving listener says. Another calls Open Source "a vote of confidence in the intelligence of your listeners. Would that more media had such good judgment!"
Civic Action
When Thomas Menino and Maura Hennigan took the Greater Boston stage for a live mayoral forum, moderated by host Emily Rooney, it prompted press and public raves. "That a public broadcasting station sponsored the only televised meeting between the candidates," wrote The Boston Globe, "says as much about the failures of commercial television in Boston as it does about the admirable commitment of WGBH to local programming."
News Viewers Trust
According to a recent Harris Poll, public broadcasting tops all media in trust. And the 2.5 million viewers of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer regularly cite the flagship broadcast's "honest reporting" as one reason why. "World affairs are in enough turmoil without distortion posing as fact," writes one viewer who counts on The NewsHour for the straight story every day.
Celebrating America's Kids
In its first season, Postcards from Buster touched young hearts and minds nationwide with its exploration of American culture. Parents thanked WGBH for "delivering on its promise" to share the diversity of the United States throughout Buster's 40 cross-country stops, which included a Chicago visit that left two American Muslim siblings "thrilled to see a character they could identify with."
