Inside PBS Blog

Last week we had one of public media's best-known journalists on our latest edition of "Five Good Questions." Yes, David Brancaccio of NOW on PBS, took your questions.

Over Brancaccio's 28-year career as a broadcaster he has contributed to CNN, CNBC, and numerous other print, radio, and television outlets. We were delighted to have him contribute to our blog by answering questions from you.

Read Brancaccio's answers below and tell us what you think in the comments below.

1. Why don't you come to Wyoming? While a red state and the least populated, people here are not so easily classified. This comes from a former native resident of California. Why don't you come and visit and let America see the country from a small town rural Western perspective? KATHIE LOU ELDRIDGE.

You're right Kathie, it is high time I got back to Wyoming. We're actively working on ways to further bolster our coverage of the American West, given the region's leading role in stories involving the environment, natural resources, energy, and growth. Your fine state would be a great place to highlight on that journey. I centered a chapter in my book "Squandering Aimlessly" in Wyoming and found the people I interviewed there very wise and the scenery breathtaking.

2. You were at Marketplace during some market booms and bubble bursts. Then you did some in-depth reporting recently regarding the crisis on Wall St. and the bailout. How do you keep from alarming viewers when you're delivering such awful news about our financial stability? Bill

Greetings, Bill. Unfortunately, the news about jobs, economic inequality, and the state of the markets is often terrifying these days and we have to tell it like it is. However, obsessive focus on the Dow or Nasdaq's hour-to-hour swings is both pointless and needlessly upsetting; I try to avoid it. I've always tried to take a long-term view in both my life and my journalism; if there's any comfort to be found in any of this, it's that, in the longer-term, things will again change. In six months? Three years? I'm not sure, but I hope to capture an impending, important debate about changing the architecture of our economy that too often leaves hard-working people shouldering too much risk. 

3. Where will journalism go following what seems to be a new era in American politics? Adam Schenck

Adam, it's clear to me that a lot of Americans are in no mood for old-style partisan bickering or the kind of journalism that foments more of it. At NOW, we've tried to pioneer in recent years what we call "solutions-based" journalism that keeps a close eye on promising ideas to fix problems in our communities, country, and the world. We will still vigorously point out what's broken and needs fixing, but people who raise their hands to offer innovative solutions need to be heard.

4. David - I was recently reading about your trip to the Himalayas and was fascinated. What would you say was the most memorable experience about that trip? Sarah

Yes, Sarah, that expedition had a lasting impact on me and I look forward to sharing the television version with viewers in the new year. We often speak about the effects of climate change in the future tense, using a timeframe measured in decades. It was striking to behold a glacier that is being attacked by climate change not in 2030 or 2050 but right now, and to appreciate that glacier's connection with our own food supply. I also took a dip in the frigid waters at the source of the Ganges and drank a bit, which is supposed to either help me live a hundred years or live another hundred years. So either I have 52 years left or 148 years left. Stay tuned.

5. What has been the most challenging story you have had to work on at NOW? Matt

First of all, Matt, just about every health care policy story we do is a special challenge because that's a subject packed with moving parts, competing stake holders, and an alphabet soup of jargon. But we pride ourselves on trying to forge from this mess clear, compelling stories. I find our continuing coverage of New Orleans' efforts to fix its education system after Katrina a special challenge because many proposed solutions take time and students don't have time; they need the results now. My visit to Guantanamo prison will stay with me for the rest of my life.

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