‘The Whole Truth’ a little different than average news shows
A desire to shatter a pair of separate, but equally nagging, limitations prompted Philadelphia’s internationally esteemed World Affairs Council to produce a television program, “The Whole Truth with David Eisenhower,” taped locally at WHYY and seen in more than 80 TV markets throughout the U.S.
One objective was to bring the organization’s lecture and discussion series, considered to be a jewel on the political and diplomatic circuit, to a wider audience, one that did not have to be present in a Philadelphia auditorium to partake or participate in often probing debates.
That was a limitation of space and scope, which television solves immediately.
The other, so critical in this age of pundit blather, was to upgrade the tone with which current issues, particularly broad global issues, are debated. In World Affairs Council literature, and in the conversation of its President and CEO, Craig Snyder, the operative words are “civil,” “thoughtful,” “non-partisan,” and “enlightening.”
Try finding anything of that ilk on most television news outlets. Fox News Channel and MSNBC get the brunt of the criticism for skewing, distorting, and pandering, but CNN, NBC, ABC, and CBS are just as bad at presenting facts without editorializing or discussion without rancor.
Snyder, who said a television series was an early goal of his five-year Presidency, adds “The Whole Truth” is a forum in which leaders from all sides of political thought, dealing with subjects from immigration to foreign policy, can speak in depth, and at length, about their ideas. The one rule is maintaining civil, respectful behavior towards each other. The shouting and name-calling seen on most shows is forbidden. People who bark at each other on Fox or MSNBC get to express and explain themselves fully on “The Whole Truth” with Eisenhower acting as neutral moderator and a facilitator of courteous discourse .
“Within minutes of taping, you can see panelists relaxing in the realization that they don’t have worry about being interrupted in the middle of a talking point or forced into loud argument. They are able to present and support their point of view. They see David is not looking for the 30-second answer, the sharp sound bite, or a verbal catfight.
“We want our panels to be provocative in the sense of broadening the audience’s knowledge or ideas about an issue, but we are looking for opinions, not advocacy. We want to show the range of ideas on a given topic and let viewers see the complexity involved in creating policy or dealing with a global situation.
“Each show features panelists from all sides of an issue. We invite people from across a wide spectrum of opinion, but we take a non-partisan approach, letting panelists explain the logic and repercussions of their opinions, and not to campaign for them. Often, we have panelists who have appeared together on other shows. They comment about how different their experience is on ‘The Whole Truth,’ how they got to talk calmly and debate civilly instead of becoming shrill and defensive. They have a dialogue instead of an argument.
“David Eisenhower is instrumental in all of this. He was chosen as the host because of his broad interests and thoughtfulness. David has his own opinions, but he knows ‘The Whole Truth’ is not a soap box, his or anyone else’s. He maintains the role of moderator. He is especially good at keeping panelists on subject and at hearing what they say and piecing things together by tying back to earlier statements.
“That’s another thing we hear from panelists, that they not only spoke but that they listened and were heard by the panelist with the opposite opinion.
“This is important because once David does this pieceing, instances arise when you see the opposite sides sharing common ground, opening channels for new discussion,”
Snyder says he realizes the advantage “The Whole Truth” has by being produced by a nonprofit organization and presented on PBS stations, with WHYY as the home outlet that offers “The Whole Truth” to the rest of its network.
“Fox and MSNBC are commercial stations. They have different motives and priorities from ours. The have to cater to their audience to maintain profitable sponsorship. It is in their interest to be provocative, to foment arguments, and encourage shouting matches. They are not aiming at providing information. They are speaking to audiences that have preconceived ideas and reinforcing them. They benefit from the free-for-all that ensues.
“Obviously, their model is different from ours. We have and allow time for people to talk. Whether we’re presenting a topic, or analyzing what’s come from the discussion, we offer minutes, not seconds. For panelists to express ideas and substantiate them.”
The current season of “The Whole Truth,” which will air nationally through December, consists of six shows with broad themes.
“We are not a news program that focuses on a headline or the incident of the day,” Snyder says. “We offer a broader, more global view, big topics that affect the world in this part of the 21st century rather than a single act of terrorism or individual global event.
“We look with a wider scope and go into more depth. I liken what we do to an answer a NASA official gave when asked if the probe studying Mars would reveal life there. He said only if there’s life within a given number of miles. When asked why, the spokesperson said because the camera covers only that much space. It’s the same with political discussion programs. If a show focuses on just one event or incident, it limits itself in a way that keeps a bigger, fartherreaching, or more complete story from being told. You’re only as good as the size of your lens. We aim to give a broad overview that defines issues as the discussion about them continues.”
Topics for this season of “The Whole Truth” include how foreign policy decisions of the Obama administration set up or affect the policies of the Trump administration; the changing face of America in terms of projected demographics and immigration; civil discourse and the state of American democracy, which features former Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, and explores partisanship; poverty in the shadow of plenty; and 21st century technology, including controlling ideas that contain elements of harm and good.
“The Whole Truth” is in its second season. Snyder says the World Affairs Council is looking for the program to grow, particularly from its six-program season to a 13-program season, which is the industry standard and would open the show to smaller stations by giving its full-series status.
Snyder had been the executive head of the World Affairs Council since 2012, but his association with the organization dates back to 1980 when he was a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
“My first job was at the World Affairs Council. I was involved in putting together the programs the organization is now bringing to television. From a young age, I was interested in politics and policy. I stayed at the World Affairs Council for about five years before moving to Washington. One of my jobs there was on the staff of the late Sen. Arlen Specter.
“I spent much of my career in D.C., but in the roundabout way life takes, my current position opened, and I saw it as the right job in the right place at the right time.
“My interest in global affairs began as a personal thing. I am the youngest child in my family, 13 years younger than the oldest sibling. When I was age seven, he was in the military and stationed in Vietnam. I may have been young, but I wanted to know everything about Vietnam. I began to llok and look at all sides of the story. I really wanted to be fully versed and have a sense of where my brother was and what he doing. I asked questions like, ‘Who’s in charge?’ and ‘Who makes the decision to fight a war?’ I think about the same questions today.”
Snyder says he wanted to expand the World Affairs Council’s teach via television because global awareness is so important today.
“So many forces have made the world more interconnected. Children growing up in the 21st century face an increasingly global environment. Just the way everything from cash to information can be transferred today, and the different bases of operation illustrate the global nature of our time. It’s important for this to be studied and for people to understand all that is happening.”
In addition to its regular programming in Philadelphia and “The Whole Truth,” The World Affairs Council conducts tours in which travelers visit U.S. embassies, meet diplomats and other leaders, and hear from journalists and others who can give an overview of the situation in a given destination. The World Affairs Council also takes various programs to Philadelphia schools.