Newsmakers

Ray Suarez knows public broadcasting from just about every angle.

Before joining PBS's "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" in 1999, he hosted NPR's "Talk of the Nation."

He's also worked for the NBC station in Chicago, CNN's Los Angeles bureau, ABC Radio in New York and CBS Radio in Rome, as well as several American and British news services in London.

During his career, Ray has reported on it all – including the influence of money in politics, the rise of Islam and the role of the media in covering executions. He's also won duPont-Columbia Silver Baton Awards for his coverage of Newt Gingrich's Congress and the first all-race elections in South Africa.

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That chatter you hear is the sound of folks in PBS's corner of cyberspace sounding off about the presidential campaign.

But unlike the rest of the electorate, it seems as if users at Vote 2008 and other PBS sites are focused on the issues.

Pretty novel concept, huh? more

As senior correspondent for the weekly newsmagazine "Now on PBS," Maria Hinojosa helps put a human face on the headlines of the day.

She's profiled an Iraqi translator forced to flee his country after the U.S. invasion, an impoverished Alabama maintenance worker and a Georgia prison nurse who has helped execute 14 inmates.

Maria joined "Now" in 2005.

She also hosts National Public Radio's "Latino USA" and is a noted essayist whose work has appeared in such books as "Borderline Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass and Cultural Shifting" and "Why I Stay Married." more

Where the worlds of politics and religion collide, you'll always find Kim Lawton, managing editor and correspondent for PBS's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly." She's the subject of this week's "Five Good Questions" feature.

Kim is a Beltway reporting vet who's covered all the big beats, including the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court. At "R&E," she specializes in helping viewers understand the role of religion in the public square.

Kim has virtually owned one of the biggest stories of the year: Barack Obama's relationship with his controversial former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

She's also reported extensively on John McCain's sometimes testy relationship with evangelical conservatives. more

Charles Hartley, blogger

San Diego lawyer Charles Hartley had been blogging for several years when he came across a help wanted ad from KPBS, his local PBS station.

It wanted six viewers who were willing to spend the next year blogging about the presidential election.

Charles didn't hesitate to apply.

"I thought this would be a different forum. ... And quite frankly, I'm self-employed, so I look for any chance I can to increase my name recognition," he says.

Six months later, Charles is one of the stars of Citizen Voices, KPBS's yearlong experiment with citizen blogging.

The project brings together six average Joes from the San Diego area, including Charles, a registered Republican who considers himself a Libertarian; Candace Suerstedt, a Democratic filmmaker; and Steven Garrett, a registered Libertarian and professional food blogger. more

Linda Simensky, right, makes a cameo on WordGirl

This week, I'm proud to welcome a special guest to "Five Good Questions:" Linda Simensky, PBS's senior director of children's programming.

At PBS, Linda is one of the forces behind the most honored kids' lineup on television. Last month, for the 11th consecutive year, PBS won more Emmys for children's programming than any broadcast or cable channel.

Since joining PBS in 2003, Linda has helped reinvent the PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! brands, bringing new series like "Curious George," "WordGirl" and "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" to the public airwaves.

She's not just a behind-the-scenes player, either. Check out the image above, which shows Linda as she really sank her teeth into her part during a recent cameo on "WordGirl."

Before coming to PBS, Linda had stints at Nickelodeon, where she helped launch "Doug" and "Rugrats," and the Cartoon Network, where she oversaw the development of "Dexter’s Laboratory" and "Samurai Jack." more

One of the things I'm learning from the PBS Engage blog is that you guys ask some sharp questions.

I asked last week for "Five Good Questions for Gwen Ifill," and you didn't disappoint.

Check out her candid responses – including her answer to the final question, one I've been wondering about myself.

Who has been the toughest interview for you and why? Who would you like to interview you?
L.J.

The toughest interview is the one where you forget to ask the best question.

But I must say, the toughest interviewing assignment I have ever had is preparing to moderate the 2004 vice presidential debate between Vice President Cheney and Sen. John Edwards.

Jim Lehrer gave me some very good advice to hold my questions as close to the vest as possible. more

The floodwaters continued to recede in Iowa this week, revealing plenty of destruction, but also some old-fashioned neighborliness – with a digital twist.

Dan Wardell, who appears on Iowa Public Television as Dantastic, host of the IPTV Kids Clubhouse, has spent the past few weeks visiting with children from flood-damaged communities and blogging about it.

"The kids come up to me and say, 'We're staying at Grandma and Grandpa's right now. We can't get to our house,'" Dan says. "They don't have homes. They don't have their toys. … For me it's an honor to do what I do."

Dan is visiting victims of the flooding as part of his Reading Road Trip, an IPTV-sponsored campaign to promote childhood literacy in 60 cities across the state.

At each stop, Dan visits the local library to read to kids, sometimes drawing as many as 550 parents and children. more

When we asked last week for five good questions for Aaron Brown, we didn't realize we were opening the floodgates.

We received about 120 comments and e-mails; many of them weren't questions at all, but messages of gratitude that Aaron's back on television. (Most of you really love him.) more

Gwen Ifill has made a career out of asking questions.

Now she's ready to answer yours.

Gwen, the moderator of "Washington Week" and a senior correspondent for "The NewsHour," is the next participant in "Five Good Questions," our new feature that allows you to engage directly with key people at PBS.

Want to ask Gwen what it's like to chat up the nation's top reporters each Friday night on "Washington Week?" Curious about some of the stories she's covered for "The NewsHour?" Eager to learn more about her friendship with the late Tim Russert?

Leave your questions in the comments section below. As always, please keep your questions on topic.

I'll choose five good questions for Gwen and post her responses to them in the next week or so. more