(bright upbeat music) - PBS Utah's award-winning public affairs series, "The Hinckley Report," is back just in time for election season.

Jason Perry, the host and director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, is here now with a preview of the new season.

Welcome, Jason.

- Glad to be with you.

- So tell me what people can look forward to in this season.

- Well, this is a big year, and this is season 11.

It's hard to even believe it's happening.

- [Liz] Congratulations.

- We had a little bit of time over the summer, but the political stories just kept piling up.

- Oh, yeah.

- It's just so interesting.

So we're gonna hit the ground running.

A summer recap is coming, everything from data centers to the Great Salt Lake to our new congressional delegation that's about to be elected with our upcoming elections.

This is gonna be a big time, very interesting, right while we're gearing up for the next legislative session.

- And I love that the panelists that you bring on, they kind of help people who are not following politics that closely understand what's going on in the legislature.

- That's absolutely right.

We pick them on purpose because of their expertise and for the variety of experience and opinions.

This is one of those shows where you'll watch it and you'll say, "I think I understand what's going on in the state of Utah, not only politically, but what's happening throughout the entire state."

And some of the guests that are gonna be on, you'll agree with, some you won't, but that's the whole point.

We just have a conversation.

We model it in a way where you can say, "I could disagree with someone in a very civil way."

And maybe come away a little more educated and sometimes even a little more certain about what you do believe.

- Yeah.

Looking back over the seasons that you've had, what are some of the things that you're most proud of?

- Well, we've had a lot of very influential people on the program, the people setting policy for the state.

And that's what I like to get to, is the people who are making the decisions about what's happening for Utahns.

A lot of people in the state say, "I'm not sure I love politics that much," and maybe for some good reason.

But the political process is so important for us to pay attention to, people in elected office.

And I think that's sometimes what we talk about on the show is the policymakers themselves, why we should care about the policy, and maybe even engage in some way.

If we don't like it, let's change it.

- Absolutely.

Well, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing this with us.

If you would like to check out "The Hinckley Report," season 11, it's kicking off Fridays at 7:00 PM and Sundays at 6:30 PM, or you can stream it anytime on YouTube or on the PBS app.

I'm Liz Adeola, and thank you for watching "Contact."

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