“Story in the Public Square” to Premiere 15th National Season June 30, 2025
NEWPORT, RI, June 5, 2025—The Pell Center at Salve Regina University has announced the launch of the 15th national season of the twelve-time Telly Award-winning series, “Story in the Public Square.” Distributed nationally by NETA, the new season debuts June 30, 2025, on public television stations across the country.
The upcoming season features 25 new 30-minute episodes that highlight the power of storytelling in shaping public dialogue and understanding. Audiences can expect wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversations with a compelling array of guests—from journalists, scientists, and bestselling authors to poets, artists, public health experts, filmmakers, and Pulitzer Prize-winning voices. Whether recorded virtually or in-studio at Rhode Island PBS, each episode offers a fresh look at the stories that define contemporary American life.
Co-hosted by Jim Ludes, Vice President at Salve Regina University, and G. Wayne Miller, Director of the Pell Center’s Ocean State Stories initiative, the series continues to make complex issues accessible through a narrative lens.
“We’re deeply grateful for the opportunity to share these stories and storytellers with our audience,” said Ludes. “Week after week, we’re privileged to bring remarkable individuals to viewers across the country for conversations that we hope to enlighten, inspire, and inform. We try to laugh a little, too, along the way.”
Miller echoed the sentiment: “Our heartfelt thanks go to our loyal viewers, our extraordinary guests, and the outstanding teams at Rhode Island PBS and the Pell Center. We’re thrilled to launch our 15th national season.”
The series has been in production at Rhode Island PBS since January 2017 and is currently seen in 85 percent of the nation’s television markets with nearly 500 weekly broadcasts nationally. It has won Telly Awards for excellence in politics and commentary, history, diversity, equity and inclusion, biography, and social impact in 2025, (four) 2024 (two) 2022, 2021, 2020 (two); 2019, and 2018. The show is produced by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and presented by Rhode Island PBS via NETA, the National Educational Telecommunications Association.
Find Story in the Public Square:
On the Web: https://pellcenter.org/story-in-the-public-square/
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/StoryInThePublicSquare/
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9AgsEnJGAgXqTMp2CxA-4w
The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy is a think tank on the Salve Regina University campus in historic Newport, Rhode Island. Its programs on domestic and international issues are designed to generate new ideas, to expand public understanding of important issues and, ultimately, to help the public and its leaders make better decisions. Dedicated to honoring Sen. Claiborne Pell’s legacy, the center promotes American engagement in the world, effective government at home and civic participation by all Americans. The Pell Center accomplishes this through research and publications, public events and media programs that run throughout the year.
The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) is a professional association that serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Since 1967, our reason for existing has been to connect public television people and ideas by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation.