Wide Angle

WIDE ANGLE was created in 2001 as a response to the lack of in-depth international news coverage in the United States. Seven years later, WIDE ANGLE is the only program exclusively dedicated to international current affairs documentaries. For each broadcast, producers and journalists from around the globe report on an event, issue or trend through the eyes of the people who are living it day to day. In its first six seasons, WIDE ANGLE traveled to more than 50 countries to explore the forces that are shaping the world today, presenting global stories on a human scale and offering Americans uncommon and invaluable insight into today’s interconnected world.

WIDE ANGLE is anchored by former CNN and ABC journalist Aaron Brown. Brown introduces the featured documentary by putting it in the context of the news of the day and follows up with a hard-hitting one-on-one interview with a foreign policy expert, administration official, legislative leader, author or journalist who provides context and critical perspective on how global issues connect to American concerns and U.S. foreign policy.

WIDE ANGLE is a production of WNET/Thirteen and airs Wednesdays from July through September at 10 p.m. on most PBS stations nationwide. Check our TV Schedule to find out when WIDE ANGLE is broadcasting in your area.

Here’s what people are saying about WIDE ANGLE:

“WIDE ANGLE is just good television. The series tells stories, portrays people, and reveals places that are too often overlooked or neglected.” - Walter Cronkite

“In a television landscape where network news is dominated by tiny sound bites and cable shouting heads, WIDE ANGLE has a distinct and valuable place.” - The New York Times

“Unerringly first class… Three cheers, loud and clear, for WIDE ANGLE.” - Wall Street Journal

“Along with Frontline and a few other journalistic series, WIDE ANGLE justifies the funding of public TV.” - New York Newsday

“[WIDE ANGLE] takes the bold stance that information is critical… No other program is telling the stories it tells. Maybe that’s because some of the stories are unpopular, but that doesn’t make them any less essential to understanding the modern world.” - Chicago Daily Herald

“Serious subjects. Serious TV. That’s what viewers get with WIDE ANGLE, the award-winning cultural- and issue-oriented international documentary series…. In an age where grim, mind-numbing global events wash over us daily, WIDE ANGLE puts human faces to the stark headlines.” - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)

“PBS WIDE ANGLE looks at stories and places too often overlooked or merely skimmed by most TV news organizations - a conscious attempt to broaden viewers’ focus in the post-Sept. 11 world.” - New York Times Syndicate

Funding for Wide Angle is provided by PBS, Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation, Judy and Josh Weston, the Estates of Helen and Sam Roseman, Bernard and Irene Schwartz, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, and the Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation. Corporate support is provided by Mutual of America Life Insurance Company. Additional funding for educational materials is provided by The Overbrook Foundation.