f o r f r i e n d s an d su ppo rte rs of wg bh
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Delivering In-depth
Independent Journalism
View from
the President
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Cover: Frontline correspondent Martin Smith traveled across Iraq to report on whether democracy can take root in this war-torn land.
homas Jefferson spoke eloquently about the critical role an independent press plays in sustaining a democracy. Some 250 years later, his words still ring true. In today’s complex, interconnected world, the need for independent, in-depth journalism in the public’s interest has never been greater. Giving top-notch journalists and producers the time and resources they need to investigate the important stories of our region, nation, and world has always been part of WGBH’s core mission. Today, millions of Americans—across New England and around the country—count on public media for investigative reports, news and analysis, diverse perspectives, and fresh voices they can trust. And much of that content is produced right here at WGBH. In this issue, we’ll introduce you to some of WGBH’s extraordinary friends whose passion for independent journalism is allowing us to pursue innovative ways to create and deliver stories that matter—and to interact with our audiences—across a growing range of digital platforms. You’ll meet Jon Logan, who talks about his father’s and his family’s commitment to investigative reporting and Frontline. And Bill and Nan Harris, who have consistently stepped up to keep The World the place for interesting, important stories from around the globe that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll also learn about some of the exciting new directions 89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio, is taking under the leadership of its new managing director, Phil Redo. And you’ll get an up-close look at two WGBH journalists whose groundbreaking work is supported by generous gifts and bequests to WGBH endowed funds. We’re grateful to the Logan family, Bill and Nan Harris, and to all of you for helping WGBH keep independent journalism a vibrant and vital part of the democratic equation.
J O N AT H A N C . A B B O T T PRESIDENT AND CEO
Keeping Frontline Strong
David Logan’s Legacy:
Investigative Reporting
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y all accounts, david logan was a force of nature: brilliant, sometimes brusque, and always passionate about ensuring that everyone had access to education, the arts, and the news and information that shape our nation’s political life. A University of Chicago-trained lawyer and successful investor who died this year at the age of 93, Logan championed investigative reporting’s role in keeping a democracy transparent and strong. In 2010, he and his wife re va made a $1.6 million gift to Frontline to support the investigative series’ expansion to a year-round broadcast, the addition of shorter, magazine-style programs, and the launch of an ambitious website. “My dad grew up in a poor Chicago neighborhood,” says his son Jon, former chair and long-time board member of the Center for Investigative Reporting and one of three sons. “He understood marginalized communities and groups and was committed to doing all he could to level the playing field.” David passed this commitment on to his children. “My dad called journalism the accountant for the public interest, and I think that’s true,” Jon says. Despite a proliferation of news across the Web, Jon says, professional journalism and, in particular, investigative journalism have been hit hard by the changing media landscape. “As newspaper and television advertising drop off, the first thing that happens is the most expensive people on your payroll, investigative reporters, are let go. “The fact is that if individuals and family foundations don’t support investigative journalism today, there would be no investigative reporting,” Jon says. “It can take years to develop an investigation, and sometimes you come up empty. Corporate-run news organizations will rarely take that risk anymore.” Why Frontline? “Frontline has been way ahead of its time in soliciting collaborative partnerships” with groups like the Center for Investigative Reporting, Pro Publica, and the New York Times, Jon says. “Today, what’s important is collaboration, strengthening each other, and making sure the story gets out. And Frontline has developed a way to tell stories that is more understandable and comprehensive than any other news program. “My father was energized by his anger that things in the world weren’t quite what they should be,” Jon concludes. “I think he would be very happy with how Frontline is utilizing our support.”
At a time when news outlets are scaling back, Frontline stands in stark relief. The longest-running investigative documentary series on American television, Frontline embarked on an ambitious agenda in 2011 to increase its impact and reach. The award-winning WGBH series expanded to a year-round schedule, adding magazine-style reports, building partnerships with esteemed organizations like NPR and Pro Publica, relaunching a new website, and ramping up its digital strategies. “We’ve always set the bar high, tackling tough subjects and asking hard questions,” says WGBH’s David Fanning, Frontline’s executive producer. “Today, we’re working to remake our series for the digital age, finding new ways to tell our stories.” None of this would be possible, Fanning says, without the Frontline Journalism Fund, which provides crucial spend-down and endowed funds to support the series’ expansion and to ensure that producers have the time and resources to delve deeply into important stories. Among the programs Frontline is producing for 2012 is a series on the economic crisis that examines questions resonating with people right now, including: How did the economy get so bad? And how is it affecting average Americans? Also in the schedule: a look at the future of the nuclear industry following the Japanese tsunami; and how AIDS impacts the African American community. “Millions of people count on Frontline,” Fanning notes. “I’m grateful to the generous individuals whose gifts to the Frontline Journalism Fund make our indepth, investigative journalism possible.” To learn more about the Frontline Journalism Fund, please contact Allison Boehret, senior development officer, at 617-300-3813 or allison_boehret@wgbh.org.
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“ Rather than copy news from other sources, The World does its own reporting.” b i ll ha r r i s
Covering Stories That Matter
from around The World
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ow do you make sense of a complex, rapidly changing world and America’s place in it? For 2.5 million listeners across the country, the answer is The World, WGBH’s award-winning daily weekday international radio series (co-produced with the BBC World Service and Public Radio International), carried by nearly 300 public radio stations nationwide and online at theworld.org. And how is the The World able to consistently find and report the stories that matter? For and rew sussm an, who became the show’s executive producer in 2011 after serving in the newsroom since the program’s 1996 premiere, the answer is twofold: it’s the team of experienced international reporters with whom he works every day; and a Boston-based philanthropic PAG E 4
couple, n a n a n d bill ha r r is, who have stepped up multiple times in support of The World’s mission and staff. “Foreign correspondents are an endangered species in commercial media,” Sussman says, “but we still believe in the need for strong reporters who have a deep knowledge of a region and an intuitive grasp of the important, nuanced stories that would otherwise remain untold. Mary Kay Magistad in China and Laura Lynch in London, two of our top overseas correspondents, are great examples: they bring a wealth of perspective, expertise, and contacts that someone who parachutes in to cover breaking news could never provide.” And then there are the Harrises, whose significant gift to WGBH’s Breaking New Ground Campaign a few years back funded The World’s WGBHbased, digital studios, and who more recently made a generous advance on a planned bequest that enabled The World to support Laura Lynch’s work. “Rather than copy news from other
sources,” says Bill, a Harvard orthopedic surgeon who pioneered reconstructive hip surgery, “The World does its own reporting, with people in the field who know how to access the stories that really matter…people like Laura, who report the news without a pre-conditioned slant. The world has become more complicated as we’ve become more inter-dependent. Having a real sense of events, of people, of political movements, has become increasingly difficult, and simultaneously, increasingly valuable.” The Harrises are excited about the many steps Sussman is taking to extend the series’ reach: delivering The World’s distinctive news, features, and music programming across an expanding array of platforms, and partnering with other news organizations, including WGBH’s Frontline, to produce multimedia reports, such as Marco Werman’s recent series on northern Japan five months after the earthquake and tsunami. “This is a welcome and essential transformation that will open The World to a whole new segment of the population,” Bill says. “Nan and Bill understand the value of what we do, and the challenges,” Sussman says. “Their support means that we can do our job.” Listen to The World at 3pm and 6pm on 89.7 WGBH, or online at theworld.org. To learn more about ways to support The World, please contact Ellen Frank, director of Major Gifts, at 617-300-3809 or ellen_frank@wgbh.org.
ralph lowell society news Melinda Rabb Takes On a
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“My goals are to meet or surpass our fundraising goal, to grow our membership, and to find ways to keep our RLS members engaged in all the exciting new directions WGBH is taking.”
New Assignment: RLS Chair
he’s a Professor of English at Brown University with a special interest in English literature through the “long 18th century” (1642-1817, from the English Civil Wars through the career of Jane Austen). She’s a prolific author with a new book in the works. She’s also a busy wife and mother who has carved out time to actively support a few carefully chosen, fortunate organizations. And WGBH is at the top of Melinda Rabb’s list. This fall, the former Ralph Lowell Society Committee member, WGBH Overseer, and Campaign Steering Committee member and now current member of the station’s Commercial Policies Committee and Overseers Advisory Board has taken on a new assignment: Chair of the Ralph Lowell Society. Why, and why now? “My interest in WGBH has only deepened over the years,” says Rabb, who sees parallels between the role of a university and public broadcasting. “The university is place of ideas. There’s always something new to think about, always the challenge to press against the limits of knowledge, always people to share that knowledge with.” Rabb explains. “My affection and respect for WGBH come, at least in part, from the recognition that the station also is constantly promoting new knowledge in so many different areas—and distributing and preserving it in accessible formats.” A longtime fan of Masterpiece, Nova, Frontline, and American Experience, Rabb says that her most frequent contact with WGBH content is through its recently expanded radio services, 89.7 WGBH and Classical New England, which she regularly listens to during her Boston-Providence commute. “I’m thrilled to have another news channel with its own personality,” she says. “I also think it’s great that WGBH’s classical radio station is becoming more of a New England presence, including its recently expanded service in the Providence area. I like that kind of innovative thinking.” As Ralph Lowell Society Chair, Rabb intends to do all she can to support that spirit of innovation. “My goals are to meet or surpass our fundraising goal, to grow our membership, and to find ways to keep our RLS members engaged in all the exciting new directions WGBH is taking,” she says. “There’s never been a more important time to step up for WGBH.”
Meet the Ralph Lowell Society Staff We want to hear from you. Let us help you make the most of your Ralph Lowell Society membership. Contact us any time: Vanya Tulenko, director, 617-300-3806, vanya_tulenko@wgbh.org Charlotte Porter, development officer, 617-300-3867, charlotte_porter@wgbh.org Jeanmarie Roberts, event manager, 617-300-4202, jeanmarie_roberts@wgbh.org Christopher Reilly, associate, 617-300-3603, christopher_reilly@wgbh.org Victoria Crnovich, assistant, 617-300-3875, victoria_crnovich@wgbh.org
ralph lowell society staffers (from left): vanya, chris, victoria, charlotte, and jeanmarie
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Ken Burns on
For the person who has everything
Prohibition
Ralph Lowell Society members joined filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick at WGBH’s Calderwood Studio on September 13 for a special sneak preview of their latest PBS documentary, Prohibition, which premiered later that month on WGBH 2 and PBS stations nationwide to rave reviews and high audience ratings.
wgbh president jon abbott with prohibition filmmakers extraordinaire lynn novick and ken burns
Give the perfect gift: a one-year membership in WGBH’s Ralph Lowell Society, entitling your special someone or family to a year of exceptional events while supporting WGBH’s high-quality programs. Contact us at 617-300-3900, or email ralph_lowell_society@wgbh.org.
89.7 wgbh senior investigative reporter phillip martin, the 2011 margret and hans rey/curious george producer, moderates the discussion with burns and novick ralph lowell society committee members gloria rose (left) and karen levy
A Delectable Evening at
America’s Test Kitchen
Ralph Lowell Society members at the Fellow level and above, plus special friends, gathered at Cook’s Illustrated studios in Brookline on October 27 for an insider’s tour of America’s most-trusted test kitchen—and some wonderful pairings of hors d’oeuvres and wine— with America’s Test Kitchen host Chris Kimball.
r a lp h lo we l l s o ci e t y m e m b e r sh i p l eve ls friend • $1,500 fellow • $2,500 sponsor • $5,000 benefactor • $10,000 president’s circle • $25,000 ralph lowell society fellow mary ann tynan (left) with wgbh friend debbie allinson
america’s test kitchen host christopher kimball with ralph lowell society president’s circle member caroline mortimer
chairman’s circle • $50,000 For a complete list of the benefits and privileges at each membership level, please call the Ralph Lowell Society Hotline at 617-300-3900, visit wgbh.org/ralphlowell, or email ralph_lowell_society@wgbh.org. We welcome your questions and value your support. Chair, Ralph Lowell Society • Melinda Rabb Director, Ralph Lowell Society • Vanya Tulenko
ralph lowell society benefactor david wimberly and sue dahlie PAG E 6
wgbh friend lars vaule gets ready to “test” an hors d’oeuvre
an eventful season Masterpiece Trust Hits It
out of the Park
Nova Stars at Dinner for
Supporters of the Masterpiece Trust, whose significant gifts are helping secure Masterpiece’s future, joined Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton at Fenway Park on July 24 to watch the Red Sox take on, and beat, the Seattle Mariners. The outing was hosted by Trust donors Michelle and Steven Karol. The afternoon was sweetened by cake and a shout-out to Masterpiece on the jumbotron.
overseers advisory board member paine metcalf and wife barbara
masterpiece makes it to the big screen
Trustees and CAB
WGBH Trustees and Community Advisory Board (CAB) members gathered at WGBH’s Studios on October 5 to welcome new CAB members and bid farewell to the outgoing class over dinner with special guest Paula Apsell, Nova senior executive producer. Apsell dazzled the crowd with a preview of Nova’s newest, four-part miniseries, The Fabric of the Cosmos, hosted by physicist Brian Greene, whose best-selling books inspired both this series and Nova’s earlier, highly acclaimed The Elegant Universe.
masterpiece executive producer rebecca eaton (center) with wgbh overseer michelle karol and steven karol, event hosts & masterpiece trust donors
the next generation of masterpiece fans
community advisory board co-chair curtis w. henderson, jr. with wgbh president jon abbott
Classical New England
in Rhode Island Members of the WGBH and Bryant University communities gathered on October 6 at the University Club in Providence, RI, to launch WGBH’s Classical New England radio service on the university’s radio station, WJMF 88.7FM, marking the return of WGBH’s classical broadcasts to the Providence area.
bryant university president ronald machtley (left) with wgbh friends russ ricci and anne szostak
classical new england managing director ben roe (center) with (from left) bryant university’s wjmf radio events director eric maccarthy, general manager richard mclaughlin, marketing director jeannette ferraro, and programming director tyler pepe
kati machtley, director, women’s conferences, bryant university, with classical new england host laura carlo (right)
community advisory board members nancy rousseau (left) and lisa simmons
wgbh trustee emerita pamela mason with community advisory board member ted lewis
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Dan Edge Named McGhee Fellow Can a documentary change your life? Just ask dan edge. Ten years ago, Edge was on his way to becoming a professor of philosophy at his alma mater, Oxford University. But the award-winning BBC documentary The Death of Yugoslavia compelled him to switch course. Since then, the erstwhile academic has become an accomplished documentary filmmaker, traveling the world to report on complex global issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, and the peace process in Northern Ireland. His work has earned several awards, including two of broadcasting’s highest honors: a Peabody Award for The Wounded Platoon, which aired on WGBH’s Frontline in 2010, and an Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Award for the 2009 Frontline film Children of the Taliban. Now Edge has been named WGBH’s 2011 Peter S. McGhee Fellow. The award, which honors WGBH’s former vice president for national programming, is given annually to a filmmaker whose work reflects intelligence, fairness, passion, and scholarship. “My goal is to present stories that engage audiences in the important issues of our time and that bring those in power to account for their decisions,” says Edge, who will spend his fellowship year covering the post-tsunami nuclear crisis in Japan for a Frontline special to air in spring 2012. “WGBH and Frontline give me the time and editorial freedom I need to find—and share—those stories.” To learn how you can endow a WGBH fellowship or position, contact Ericka Webb, director of Gift Planning and Endowment, at 800-220-7122 or email planned_giving@wgbh.org. PAG E 8
New WGBH Overseers (from left): Michelle A. Shell, Michelle M. Karol, Anthony Corey, Deirdre B. Phillips, and Patricia B. Jacoby; not shown: Ronald A. Crutcher and Will Richmond
New Overseers Look under
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the WGBH Hood
even new WGBH Overseers took up their volunteer leadership duties over the past few months. “We’re thrilled to welcome them on board,” says Overseers Chair Susan Kaplan. “In the coming year, they’ll have many opportunities to look under the WGBH hood to learn about all the exciting public media projects underway and the critical role that they as Overseers can play in keeping WGBH strong.” The 2011 Class of Overseers includes Anthony Corey, owner, Anthony Corey Neckwear and Anthony Corey Interior Design; Ronald A. Crutcher, President, Wheaton College; Patricia B. Jacoby, former Deputy Director of Museum of Fine Arts Boston (retired in 2010); Michelle M. Karol, Trustee of The Huntington Theater and Honorary Board Member at Classics New England; Deirdre B. Phillips, Executive Director, The Autism Consortium; Will Richmond, President and Founder, Broadband Directions LLC; and Michelle A. Shell, Vice President and Business Line Manager, Strategic Advisors (a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments). “We’re grateful to the Nominating Committee and Co-Chairs Ruth Ellen Fitch, president and CEO of Dimock Center, and Christine Dunn, owner of Dunn Associates, for assembling this outstanding class,” says Kaplan. “This year’s Overseers calendar of events kicked off with our first-ever WGBH Radio Open House, held this past October,” says Overseer Co-Chair Bob Gallery, President of Bank of America Massachusetts. Overseers met WGBH Radio’s new managing directors—Phil Redo, managing director for 89.7 WGBH, and Ben Roe, managing director for Classical New England—along with their teams. “Our Overseers were very involved in the expansion of WGBH’s radio services in 2010. It’s exciting to see the energy, vision, and talent being applied to transform these stations into don’t-miss destinations—on air, online, and out in our communities.” Next up: previews and discussions around some of WGBH’s most-anticipated 2012 series, including Masterpiece’s second season of Downton Abbey, American Experience’s latest addition to its Presidents Collection: Clinton, and Frontline’s The Interrupters, which earned rave reviews when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. “Overseers are WGBH’s best ambassadors,” Kaplan says. “We’re looking forward to our new class bringing their expertise and ideas to our discussions, and sharing their enthusiasm for WGBH with their friends and colleagues.”
Phillip Martin Is New Rey Producer
89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio:
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Fulfilling the Promise
9.7 WGBH’s move to a news format in January 2010 marked the beginning of an ambitious transformation—one that ph il r e d o, a 30-year public and commercial radio veteran whose bona fides include an AP Award for editorial content and Top General Manager honors from Radio INK magazine, helped shape as an independent media consultant to WGBH. Now he’s back as 89.7 WGBH’s new managing director to build on the news station’s promising start. “My goal isn’t to copy what’s already out there,” Redo says. “We want to shed light on stories and subjects that have been underreported or are just emerging.” In October, Redo launched new beats focusing on innovation in business, life sciences, and the economy; culture writ large; and on politics and local voices. First out of the gate are Innovation Hub and The Xconomy Report, “two programs that make inroads into stories you won’t find anywhere else,” Redo says. Innovation Hub (Saturdays/7am; Sundays/10pm) explores how Boston-area innovators are tackling the big challenges facing our nation and region, from renewable energy to education, infrastructure, health care, and more. The Xconomy Report (Friday mornings/7:50am), a collaboration between Kendall Square-based Xconomy and 89.7 WGBH, takes a close-up look at the trends that are shaping our region’s high-tech economy, gleaned from Xconomy’s high-powered analyses of regional data on innovations in business, the life sciences, and technology. “In-depth, independent journalism is one of public radio’s hallmarks,” Redo says. “We’re carving out new territory, giving our listeners access to important stories on air and also online. Boston is in the midst of enormous change, and 89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio, will be there to cover it and be part of it. Stay tuned.”
Radio Campaign Update WGBH’s Radio Campaign is having a major impact, enabling the significant expansion of 89.7 WGBH and Classical New England. 89.7 is rolling out a roster of new shows (see above) while our classical service has expanded to 18 hours of locally produced programming per day, including more opportunities to hear the Boston Symphony, on radio and online. And now the service is reaching Providence-area listeners as well—all thanks to Campaign contributors who have donated $5 million to date.
Growing up in rough-and-tumble 1970s Detroit, phillip martin was nagged by a sense that popular media was giving most Americans only half the picture of the troubled, once-mighty Motor City. He wanted to show them the rest. “Even as a kid, I knew that the sound bites weren’t capturing the hopes and concerns of people from my neighborhood,” he recalls. Fast-forward four decades, and that desire to tell the untold story still drives Martin, who has built an award-winning career as a radio journalist and producer. As Senior Investigative Reporter for 89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio, Martin leads WGBH’s expanding investigative unit, winning recent acclaim for his stories on human trafficking. He also contributes to WGBH’s Beat the Press, Basic Black, and The World, a program he helped create as a senior producer for PRI. This past September, Martin was named WGBH’s Margret and Hans Rey/Curious George Producer for 2011-12. The producership was established in 2001 by a bequest to support work that reflects Margret Rey’s lifelong interests in science, public affairs, arts, health, and children’s programming. During his producership year, Martin will focus on reporting in the areas of innovation and social justice, as well as breaking news. “As a reporter, it’s a luxury and a responsibility to be given the time to find and breathe life into stories,” says Martin, who still gets an adrenaline rush when he hits upon a good lead. “There are very few places—in Boston or anywhere else—that allow and encourage reporters to practice journalism in the way that WGBH does.” To learn how you can establish a WGBH bequest, contact Ericka Webb, director of Gift Planning and Endowment, at 800-220-7122 or email planned_giving@ wgbh.org.
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WGBH One Guest Street Boston, MA 02135 wgbh.org
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F O R F R I E N D S A N D S U P P O RT E R S O F W G B H FA L L 2 0 1 1 / W I N T E R 2 0 1 2
Delivering In-depth
Independent Journalism
At a time when many news outlets are scaling back, WGBH is redoubling its efforts to create and distribute independent, in-depth journalism across a range of platforms—TV, radio, the Web, mobile devices— shedding light on the critical issues affecting our community, region, nation, and world. Stories that matter…in the public’s interest.
For general information, please contact
Winifred Lenihan Vice President for Development WGBH One Guest Street Boston, MA 02135 617-300-3804 winifred_lenihan@wgbh.org
PHOTO CREDITS • COVER: © WGBH • INSIDE FRONT COVER: © WGBH/ANTHONY TIEULI;
Sharing the Vision is a publication of WGBH
Publication Coordination Christina Ventresca
Editorial Susan Reed Tina Vaz
Production Lenore Lanier-Gibson
© WGBH/LISA ABITBOL (7) • PAGE 7: © WGBH/ERICKA WEBB; PAM MURRAY, COURTESY OF
Director, Constituent Communications Cynthia Broner
BACK COVER: © WGBH/ANTHONY TIEULI
Design Danielle Pierce
Associate Director Susan Reed
© WGBH • PAGE 3: COURTESY OF THE LOGAN FAMILY • PAGE 4: © ERIC ROTH; © WGBH/ STEPHEN SNYDER • PAGE 5: COURTESY OF MELINDA RABB; © WGBH/KIM MCGRATH • PAGE 6: BRYANT UNIVERSITY; © WGBH/MATT KALINOWSKI PHOTOGRAPHY • PAGE 8: COURTESY OF DAN EDGE; © WGBH/LISA ABITBOL • PAGE 9: © WGBH/VANESSA WIEGEL; JILL GOLDMAN •
© 2011 WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION • 110724