From the opinions of global newsmakers to listeners...personal experiences of life-changing travel...the wisdom of renowned thinkers, activists and spiritual leaders...and intimate dispatches of daily life around the world from NPR News correspondents on the ground...the NPR talk show Tell Me More brings fresh voices and perspectives to public radio.
Capturing the headlines, issues and pleasures relevant to multicultural life in America, the daily one-hour series is hosted by award-winning journalist Michel Martin. Tell Me More marks Martin's first role in hosting a daily program. She views it as an opportunity to focus on the stories, experiences, ideas and people important in contemporary life but often not heard.
"Tell Me More lets me bring together two longtime passions: the intimacy and warmth you experience with powerful radio and the lively, sharp debate about things going on in the world that I enjoy having with friends of diverse backgrounds. That can mean such diverse topics as immigration, gun control, the impact of shock jocks and international adoption," said Martin. "I see Tell Me More as a gathering place for dialogue about the important issues facing the country. But we also talk about the challenges and opportunities we all face living in a fast-paced, complicated society. And we are a home for conversations with NPR News' outstanding correspondents around the world, such as Ofeibea Quist-Arcton and Juan Forero."
Tell Me More focuses on the way we live, intersect and collide in a culturally diverse world. Each day's show features a variety of segments examining U.S. and international news, ideas and people; its range of topics covers politics, faith and spirituality, the family, finance, arts and culture and lifestyle. Some of the regular features include:
- Dispatches - "on the ground" reports from NPR News correspondents based in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas
- Political Chat - a political roundtable of analysts, editorial writers and columnists
- Wisdom Watch – featuring thoughts of distinguished "elder statespeople," including thinkers, scholars and activists
- Faith Matters – a forum of spiritual leaders from the major faith traditions sharing opinion on issues of public concern
- Postcards – listener-contributed content about life-changing travel experiences
Joining Martin is a wide-ranging slate of contributors. They include syndicated columnist Ruben Navarette, blogger Jimi Izrael, East/West Magazine editor Anita Malik, media commentator Keith Boykin and Harriet Cole, lifestyle editor at Ebony.
Tell Me More was first introduced publicly online beginning in December 2006 through a novel "open piloting" program development process launched by NPR titled "Rough Cuts." Martin and the show's producers provided listeners with a regular podcast and blog, all available through www.NPR.org, testing show ideas, offering sample segments, and soliciting user feedback.
Martin brought award-winning experience as a broadcast and print journalist when she joined NPR in January 2006. While developing the program, she has served as contributor and substitute host for NPR newsmagazines, talk shows and NPR News special coverage such as mid-term election night. Martin spent 15 years at ABC News as a correspondent for Nightline and other programs and specials, including the network's coverage of September 11, a documentary on the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy and a critically acclaimed AIDS documentary. She also contributed reports for ABC News' ongoing series, America in Black and White. Prior to joining ABC, Martin covered state and local politics for the Washington Post and national politics and policy at the Wall Street Journal, where she was White House correspondent. She has also been a regular panelist on the PBS series Washington Week and a contributor to NOW with Bill Moyers.
Tell Me More is produced at NPR's worldwide headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is a production of NPR News in association with the African American Public Radio Consortium, representing 20 independent public radio stations that serve predominantly black communities.