“Washington Week in Review,” a nationally aired television program, will be taped Friday at ISU’s Stephens Auditorium in conjunction with the approaching Iowa caucuses. Some ISU students will have the chance to be in the audience and ask questions.

This public affairs program, hosted by the ISU Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, is moderated by Gwen Ifill, former political reporter for The New York Times and “NBC News.”

“Gwen is an exceptional moderator. She is almost unique in the capacity to guide discussion and to involve everyone,” said John Eighmey, chairman of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.

Ifill will be joined in a roundtable discussion by three other journalists: David Broder, national political reporter for The Washington Post; Gloria Borger, contributing editor and political columnist for U.S. News and World Report and CBS News analyst; and Elizabeth Arnold, correspondent for National Public Radio’s Washington Bureau.

This is an opportunity to “give students, Iowa State and Iowans direct access to extraordinary journalists,” Eighmey said.

The program will begin by following the usual format, which consists of sharing observations and a discussion. At mid-point, the journalists will give their attention to the audience and entertain questions, he said.

“This is the first time in the 32-year history of ‘Washington Week in Review’ that panelists will take questions from the audience,” said Barbara Mack, associate professor of journalism and mass communication.

The traditional 30-minute program will be broadcast on Iowa Public Television. Following a brief break, an additional 30 minutes of audience interaction will be live-streamed over the “Washington Week in Review” Web site at www.pbs.org/weta/wwir, Eighmey said.

Mack said, “This is also the first time the show has been data-streamed on the PBS Web site.”

Eighmey said “Washington Week in Review” was interested in traveling to Iowa State because of new aspects of technological innovation, as well as the Iowa caucuses.

“They were interested in developing the program in new ways,” he said. “The show has never appeared before a live audience of this size … we’re excited about this experimentation.”

Mack has been the key organizer of the event and has been working closely with the community, central Iowa and WETA, Washington, D.C., a producing station in the public television system, Eighmey said.

She has involved more than 100 students as questioners, technical crew, production assistants and as escorts for the four journalists. These students are representatives from the Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Department of Political Science and the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women, Mack said.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of our students to participate in a national TV program. We are looking forward to showing off ISU to a nationwide audience,” she said.

Tonight at 7 in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union, ISU students also have the chance to attend a reception and hear informal remarks from Ifill and Broder, Mack said.

“[Ifill and Broder] will be there for about an hour. The reception is sponsored by Carrie Chapman Catt Center and the Department of Political Science,” she said.

This week’s PBS episode will be recorded at 2 p.m. Friday in Stephens and is free and open to the public. Anyone planning to attend should arrive by 1:30 p.m.

Funding for the program will be provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and public television viewers. Corporate funding is provided by SBC Communications and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).