A panel discusses the ways terrorism, the conflict in Iraq, a sluggish economy, and religious, cultural, and social differences have combined to create pressure on international relationships, and to make Anti-American attitudes more prevalent. These experts share their perspectives on global attitudes toward America. They discuss current trends, US public policy implications, the importance of the media, and America's prospects for the future. Otto Lerbinger from Boston University's College of Communication provides an introduction.
Jeb Sharp has been reporting for *The World* since 1998. Her assignments have taken her to Africa, Europe and the Middle East. She covers foreign policy and human rights and is currently working on a historical series about how wars end. Her radio stories have been honored by the Overseas Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists. Jeb was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 2006. She learned how to do radio at the Graduate School of Journalism at U.C. Berkeley and began her career at KCAW-FM in Sitka, Alaska. She has also worked at WBUR in Boston.
Andrew Kohut is the President of the Pew Research Center, in Washington, DC. He also acts as Director of the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press (formerly the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press) and the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Kohut was President of The Gallup Organization from 1979 to 1989. In 1989, he founded Princeton Survey Research Associates, an attitude and opinion research firm specializing in media, politics, and public policy studies. He served as founding director of surveys for the Times Mirror Center 1990-1992, and was named its Director in 1993. Kohut is a press commentator on the meaning and interpretation of opinion poll results. Kohut received the first Innovators Award from American Association of Public Opinion Research for founding the Pew Research Center. He also was given the New York AAPOR Chapter award for Outstanding Contribution to Opinion Research. Most recently he was awarded the 2005 American Association of Public Opinion Research's highest honor, the Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement. Kohut received an AB degree from Seton Hall University in 1964 and studied graduate sociology at Rutgers, the State University.
Bennett Freeman is senior vice president for Social Research and Policy for Calvert, a socially responsible mutual fund. For three years prior to this Freeman headed Burson-Marsteller's corporate social responsibility practice group in the U.S. Freeman joined B-Ms corporate social responsibility practice in mid-2003 and sits on the board of directors of the U.S. division of the global aid group, Oxfam America, as well as being a member of the Business and Economic Relations Group of Amnesty International USA. At Burson-Marsteller Freeman led "firms client advisory work on corporate responsibility policy frameworks, risk assessments, stakeholder engagement and communications strategies addressing global issues such as human rights, labor rights, the environment and sustainable development." In 2002, he co-authored an independent Human Rights Impact Assessment of BPs Tangguh project in Papua, Indonesia, the first such assessment conducted of a major energy project in the world." "As U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 1999 to early 2001, Freeman was responsible for conducting the State Departments bilateral human rights diplomacy around the world.