By the People

A new national project encourages citizen discussion
Edited by Jennifer Fletcher

Even before September 11, 2001, there was growing concern about many Americans' lack of interest and involvement in foreign affairs. That concern now has a new urgency and relevance.

Sparked by the terrorist attacks on the United States, the continuing threats of terrorism and war and subsequent events, By the People was created by Dan Werner, president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, to help broaden local and national conversations about the challenges, opportunities and dangers facing Americans in the world today.

Through national and local events and broadcasts, this 16-month project encourages citizen involvement in an ongoing conversation about America's role in the world. The first of three national By the People broadcasts will originate live from the Zellerbach Theater at the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 12 at 10 a.m. on WHYY TV12.

Jim Lehrer, host of The NewsHour, will anchor this two-hour broadcast in which more than 300 citizen-delegates to the National Issues Convention (NIC) will assemble. These citizen-delegates will be scientifically assembled by the University of California's Berkeley Survey Research Center and will represent a sample of the United States.

Having spent the weekend discussing foreign policy issues, delegates to the Philadelphia NIC will engage in a dialogue with top government officials. The town meeting will be supplemented with background reporting on the issues, the convention participants and the weekend's activities.

By the People debuts Sunday, January 12 at 10 a.m. on WHYY TV12.