National Columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. Joins Three Journalists of Color at Democratic Presidential Forum

National Columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. Joins Three Journalists of Color at Democratic Presidential Forum

All-American Presidential Forum Airs on PBS Stations Nationwide June 28

WASHINGTON, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr., regarded as one of the country's leading commentators on Hispanic affairs, will join three other journalists of color to quiz the Democratic candidates in the "All-American Presidential Forums on PBS" moderated by Tavis Smiley, on June 28, 2007, from 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET at Howard University in Washington, DC.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070614/LATH035)

Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson will participate in the broadcast. Questions to the candidates will be posed by Smiley, Navarrette, and journalists Michel Martin of National Public Radio, and DeWayne Wickham, USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist.

"All-American Presidential Forums" marks the first time that a panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color will question Presidential candidates in a live primetime national broadcast. The candidates will be asked about issues ranging from healthcare and housing to Katrina relief, the economy, immigration reform and the environment, among others outlined in Smiley's #1 New York Times best-seller, Covenant With Black America.

A second forum for Republican presidential candidates will be held September 27, 2007, on the campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

"The 'All-American Presidential Forums' were created to provide fresh perspectives and an unprecedented level of inclusion for all Americans in general, and people of color in particular, in these critical discussions about our country's future," said Smiley, a best-selling author and host of his own PBS talk show. "In this critical election, candidates must realize that when they address those issues that improve the lives of people of color, everyone benefits. Candidates cannot ignore this reality and must address policies that ultimately 'leave no American behind.'"

Navarrette, 40, is a graduate of Harvard University and an editorial board member of the San Diego Union-Tribune. His syndicated column with The Washington Post Writers Group appears twice a week in nearly 200 newspapers. He also offers commentary and analysis on National Public Radio, contributes to USA TODAY, writes twice-per-month commentaries on CNN.COM and appears as a guest on national public affairs programs. He co-hosted a daily radio talk show with Smiley in 1994, and was a guest on radio talk shows in Phoenix, Dallas, and his hometown of Fresno, CA.

"We live in the most multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-ethnic America ever, and the explosive growth of the Hispanic population has rippled across the country's political, economic and social landscape," Smiley said. "Previous presidential debates have only scratched the surface of the many issues that are important to Hispanic voters. Ruben's keen understanding of the Hispanic state of affairs will assure that their concerns are addressed and answered by the candidates."

Immediate public feedback on the performance of the candidates will be conducted by noted pollster Frank Luntz, who will also appear on "Tavis Smiley" on PBS the following evening to discuss his findings.

The PBS Democratic Forum will be simultaneously webcast on PBS.org, and video of both events will be archived for download and viewing on the Web site. The Web site (http://pbs.org/tavissmiley) will include additional coverage of the presidential candidates and their positions on key issues of the campaign, including past interviews, backgrounders, viewer polls, a forum blog and election resources. Visitors will be able to submit their own questions for the candidates, read commentary and share their own opinions. The forum will also be simulcast live on public radio via Public Radio International (PRI).

"All-American Presidential Forums on PBS" is produced by TS Media, Inc., and presented by KCET Los Angeles. Tavis Smiley is executive producer and Neal Kendall will serve as producer.

About PBS

PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches more than 75 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (http://www.pbskids.org/), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at http://www.pbs.org/, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

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CONTACT: Laurel Lambert, KCET Los Angeles, +1-323-953-5246, fax,
+1-323-662-2123, llambert@kcet.org, or Carrie Johnson, +1-703-739-5129, fax,
+1-703-739-5777, cjohnson@pbs.org, both of PBS

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http://www.pbskids.org/
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