Earlier this year, the Academy announced the establishment of a partnership with Boston-based public broadcaster WGBH News. This collaboration will provide local audiences with greater access to Academy research and the expertise of its members, as well as a more comprehensive understanding of local, national, and international issues through WGBH News reporting.
The first collaboration, which aired during the week of July 13, 2015, was a special, in-depth report series on water that drew from and expanded on research and expert commentary from the Summer 2015 issue of Dædalus “On Water.” This five-part series, “Water Pressure: Saving a Threatened Resource,” traveled from the ports of New Bedford, Massachusetts, to drought-ridden California to examine the availability, security, and sustainability of water across New England, the United States, and the world, and the political and economic tensions that this natural resource presents to communities everywhere. The series aired locally on 89.7 WGBH Radio.
“Through this collaboration with WGBH, the Academy will have new opportunities to advance its 235-year-old mission ‘to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, dignity, honor and happiness of a free, independent and virtuous people,’” said Academy President Jonathan Fanton. “Our story began with John Adams, James Bowdoin, and other Bostonians who created the Academy to serve the Commonwealth and the new nation. A partnership with a Boston institution like WGBH continues this long and distinguished tradition of service. We are particularly delighted that the first product of our new collaboration will be a series of reports on our changing relationship with water, an issue of real concern for New England and for the world.”
“WGBH News strives to bring a greater layer of depth and substance to our reporting,” said Phil Redo, WGBH General Manager for Radio. “With this partnership, our newsroom will have access to some of the most forward-thinking experts and research across a range of disciplines, from science and innovation to international relations, the arts and social justice. Not only will we be able to offer our audiences a greater understanding of the world around them, but we will also contribute to national conversations through a local lens. WGBH News is particularly pleased to collaborate with a local organization that reflects the unique wealth of expertise that the Boston region boasts.”
The Academy’s projects and work on the humanities, arts, and education; science, engineering, and technology; and global security and international affairs align well with WGBH News’ core coverage areas. The two organizations will work together to produce reporting features and community events that highlight world-leading discourse on these topics. WGBH’s Forum Network also will record lectures from the Academy and make them available to the public in its free online archive.
To listen to “Water Pressure: Saving a Threatened Resource” and to access additional resources, visit wgbhnews.org/waterpressure.