Deborah Amos joins Ray Suarez as co-anchor of 'America Abroad'

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACTS:
Dan Jensen, PRI
612.330.9212, djensen@pri.org
Monica Villavicencio, America Abroad Media
202.457.8050, mvillavicencio@americaabroadmedia.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MINNEAPOLIS and WASHINGTON, D.C., February 8, 2008 — Public Radio International (PRI) and America Abroad Media proudly announce that esteemed journalist Deborah Amos now co-anchors "America Abroad." Amos joins Ray Suarez, one of the nation's most celebrated news anchors. An incisive series on U.S. foreign policy and international affairs, "America Abroad" has been part of the PRI portfolio since 2003, with programs aired and webcast by over 200 PRI affiliate stations nationwide. The monthly programs cover a range of critical issues — "A Marriage of Inconvenience: The U.S. and the U.N.," "Allies at a Crossroad: Turkey and the United States" and "From Cold War to Cold Peace," which explored Russia's return as a world power. The current program, "Communication Breakdown: Losing the War of Ideas," considers America's public diplomacy and the challenges of communicating its policies and rebuilding international public approval. It marks the official Suarez-Amos premiere. In March the team will examine how Taiwan’s struggle over independence affects the international community, particularly U.S.-China relations.

"Deborah and Ray are among the best," says America Abroad Media President Aaron Lobel, who is also the show's executive producer. "Their credibility and reputations as top journalists in public radio are well established from years of superb work, as is their understanding of international affairs. They're highly skilled at infusing their programs with the depth and sensibility public radio is known for. I'm thrilled to have them both at the mic."

Elizabeth Arnold, another notable public media journalist, joins the program this spring as field reporter. She'll bring her years of international reporting experience to a team of producers currently traveling the globe to take listeners to such far-flung places as Tanzania, Turkey, Kosovo and Darfur.

PRI's Director of Content Development and Strategy Michael Arnold adds, "Ray Suarez and Deborah Amos are among the nation's most trusted journalists. Elizabeth Arnold now completes the team, and their combined talents will make an already outstanding series even better. We are proud to make 'America Abroad' available, bringing different voices and global perspectives to listeners coast to coast."

America Abroad Media is supported by the Ford Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, the Starr Foundation, the Ploughshares Fund and the Stuart Family Foundation.

Ray Suarez is senior correspondent of the PBS television program "The NewsHour." Previously, he
hosted the national call-in news program "Talk of the Nation" on NPR. He was a Los Angeles correspondent for CNN, a producer for the ABC Radio Network in New York, a reporter for CBS Radio in Rome and a reporter for various American and British news services in London. Over the years he has narrated, anchored or reported many special programs and documentaries for public radio and television, including "Follow the Money," (PBS) "The Execution Tapes" (public radio), "Through Our Own Eyes" (KQED) and "Take This Heart" (KCTS). He holds a B.A. in African history from New York University and an M.A. in the social sciences from the University of Chicago. A longtime member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, he is a founding member of the Chicago Association of Hispanic Journalists. Suarez and his family live in Washington, D.C.

Deborah Amos covers Iraq for NPR News, having returned to work with NPR after a decade with ABC news. Prior to joining ABC NEWS, she spent 16 years with NPR, where she was London Bureau Chief and a foreign correspondent based in Amman, Jordan. She won several awards and gained widespread recognition for her coverage of the Gulf War in 1991. She is the author of "Lines in the Sand: Desert Storm and the Remaking of the Arab World." She joined NPR in 1977, where she was first a director and then a producer for "Weekend All Things Considered" until 1979, after which she worked on documentaries until 1985. In 1982, she received the Prix Italia, the Ohio State Award, and a duPont-Columbia Award for "Father Cares: The Last of Jonestown," and in 1984 she received a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Refugees. Amos began her career in 1972 after receiving a degree in broadcasting from the University of Florida at Gainesville.

About Public Radio International®
Founded in 1983, Public Radio International has distinguished itself by producing, acquiring and distributing innovative content that enables U.S. audiences to "hear a different voice," bringing new voices and global perspectives to the public airwaves. Through partnerships with BBC World Service and station-based and independent producers, the Minneapolis-based network provides over 400 hours of programming each week, content that is broadcast and streamed online by 827 PRI affiliates nationwide, whose radio broadcasts reach over 29 million listeners each week. Podcasts of PRI programs consistently rank in the top U.S. 100. PRI owns Public Interactive LLC, public broadcasting's leading Web services company. PRI is also the managing partner of the satellite radio company American Public Radio LLC, established with Chicago Public Radio®, WGBH Radio Boston and WNYC, New York Public Radio®. PRI programming is available via XM Public Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. For more information on PRI and its programs and services, visit www.pri.org.

About America Abroad Media
America Abroad Media (AAM) harnesses the power of media to inform America and the world about the critical international issues of our time. AAM brings together many of the most respected people from the world of international affairs and media to create programming that is uniquely substantive and compelling. On both radio and television, our programs promote thoughtful reflection and reasoned dialogue. Our team features some of America’s most distinguished policymakers, journalists, intellectuals and producers. We also partner with leading journalists and broadcasters in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Indonesia. These partnerships help to deepen our understanding of these countries and create a mechanism for dialogue across borders. AAM is supported by the Ford Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, the Starr Foundation, the Ploughshares Fund, the Stuart Family Foundation, and by other foundations and individuals who support our mission.

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