Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Grossman

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Lawrence K. Grossman, who is a former president of NBC News and former president of the Public Broadcasting System. He's the author of The Electronic Republic, and, with Newton Minow, he is the co-author of the report called "A Digital Gift to the Nation."

1. Background ... influence of parents ... teachers ... Columbia University ... advertising ... starting out
2. The Golden Age of Television ... broadcast journalists ... live drama ... creativity of early medium
3. Leading the Public Broadcasting System ... origins ... backing into a major decision ... consensus in a confederation ... setting priorities
4. Leading NBC News ... bringing the lessons of PBS ... breaking out of the studio ... dearth of original reporting ... decline of the public interest ... rise of a profit mentality ... news as entertainment ... concentration of media ownership ... private vs. public sector broadcasting
5. Realizing the Promise of the Digital Revolution ... educational and cultural potential ... historical precedents ... today's equivalent: the radio/tv spectrum ... research and development in education ... private vs. public sector education ... implementatng the "digital promise"
6. Lesson Learned ... making information meaningful and useable ... realizing the potential of interactivity ... reflecting on coverage of the bombing of the WTC ... new ways of teaching ... preparing for the future

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