Arts and Entertainment

WPSU, McCourtney Institute for Democracy begin new podcast collaboration

'Democracy Works' podcast will take a broader look at issues affecting democracy

"Democracy Works" is a collaborative project between The McCourtney Institute for Democracy and WPSU. Credit: Annaliese Thoet/College of the Liberal ArtsAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — WPSU and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State have partnered for a new podcast collaboration that will look at the issues affecting democracy.

The “Democracy Works" podcast, a collaborative project between the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and WPSU, aims to rise above the daily news grind to take a broader look at issues impacting democracy. New episodes will be available weekly at the podcast website, on the WPSU app, and where people subscribe to podcasts. Excerpts will sometimes air on WPSU-FM.  

“‘Democracy Works’ takes an in-depth look at an issue that interests our listeners — the state of democracy in today’s world,” said WPSU-FM news director Emily Reddy. “We want to provide our listeners with an opportunity to hear how national issues may affect their communities and daily lives.”

Podcasts with retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark; Laura Rosenberger, director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy and a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States; and Stella Rouse, co-author of "The Politics of Millennials," are already available.

“Americans are both concerned about the state of American democracy and eager for media which is not confrontational, not partisan, and not punditry,” said Michael Berkman, director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. “On the podcast, we showcase the people who are doing the hard work of democracy and have informed and engaging conversations about what it means to be a democratic citizen.”

Episodes will include analysis from Berkman and institute managing director Chris Beem, and Jenna Spinelle, communications specialist for the McCourtney Institute, conducts the interviews. “Democracy Works” won the 2018 People’s Choice podcast award in the government and organizations category.

Visit WPSU.org/democracy for more information.

Last Updated November 16, 2018

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