Air Dates: May 23-29, 2022 It’s been said that truth is the first casualty of war. As Russia wages its war in Ukraine, Darren Linvill sounds the alarm that social media, which has long had its own problems with the truth, is again a platform for Russian disinformation. Linvill is a social media forensics expert and Associate Professor at Clemson University.  He investigates data messaging and the impacts of inauthentic … Read More

Air Dates: May 16-22, 2022 Democratic backsliding isn’t limited to weak governments abroad.  Rachel Kleinfeld warns about the dangers facing American democracy, including the growing acceptance of intimidation and even political violence in some communities. Rachel Kleinfeld is a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on issues of rule of law, security, and governance in post-conflict countries, … Read More

NEWPORT, RI – “Story in the Public Square,” the five-time Telly-Award winning series from the Pell Center at Salve Regina University, is set to premiere its ninth national season during the week of Monday, July 4 2022 via NETA.  The new season will include 24 new episodes seen nationally on public television. “Story in the Public Square” is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling … Read More

Air Dates: May 9-15, 2022 Traumatic brain injuries can have lifelong impacts on cognitive and psychological function.  Dr. Eve Valera studies these injuries among survivors of domestic violence and says they have serious mental health impacts. Valera is an associate professor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has been studying domestic violence for nearly 25 years and is recognized internationally for … Read More

Air Dates: May 2-8, 2022 Cartoons communicate ideas in ways words cannot.  Canadian artist and humorist John Atkinson shares his unique take on the world through his cartoon series, “Wrong Hands” creations. Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, John Atkinson has been writing and drawing his cartoon series, “Wrong Hands,” for over ten years.  After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a degree in fine arts, Atkinson began his … Read More

Air Dates: April 25-May 1, 2022 A decade ago, social media could be seen as a well-spring of democratic innovation and potential.  Events of the last six years may have changed the public’s perception on that score, but Katie Harbath warns that social media platforms have much more work to do to protect democracy in the United States and around the world. Harbath is a global leader who works at … Read More

Air Dates: April 18-24, 2022 Tyranny comes in many forms, but its central elements of violence, lost glories, and corruption seem to repeat.  Ruth Ben-Ghiat warns that autocrats have risen frequently from democracy over the last century by relying on a simple playbook that has proved as durable as it is menacing. Ben-Ghiat is a historian and commentator on fascism, authoritarian leaders, and propaganda and the threats they present to … Read More

Air Dates: April 11-17, 2022 So much of our modern life is built upon simplifying the complex.  We reduce social interactions to likes and follows on social media and dilute the “news” in our favorite echo chambers.  But Azar Nafisi warns that life is not simple and the complexity found in great literature is ultimately liberating of the mind and essential to the health of our democracy. Dr. Azar Nafisi … Read More