WNET's WHAT NEXT AFTER NEWTOWN to Air December 22

One week after the devastation at Sandy Hook Elementary School, numerous questions remain regarding the events that led up to this unthinkable catastrophe. Many of the issues have become all too familiar, and the questions seem to be asked after every similar national tragedy.

Public television will address community issues and concerns and seek out answers by further delving into key topics stemming from recent events with What Next After Newtown: What Our Country and Communities Can Do, airing Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. (Check local listings.) The three-hour special, from WLIW/WNET, provides an in-depth analysis of issues featuring a variety of perspectives in an effort to spark a nationwide conversation about long-term solutions.

The event will be offered to public television stations by WLIW/WNET.

"This is a profoundly difficult topic that has hit our community very close to home," says WNET President and CEO Neal Shapiro. "We felt we could play a valuable role in advancing a thoughtful discussion about healing and changing by taking an in-depth look at some of the key issues being discussed in this tragedy's aftermath."

Expanding on the discussions brought forth from the PBS special After Newtown airing on Friday, December 20, What Next After Newtown fully investigates the vital concerns raised by the recent tragedies via six half-hour segments. The segments, which will include an optional local insert produced by the individual stations that choose to run the special, address a range of important topics that weigh heavily on the country and look deeply into the individual issues, exploring what they mean for the nation, for families, schools, and communities. (Stations have the flexibility to air all or part of the three-hour event.)

The segment topics include:
Accessibility of weapons
Violence in the media
Talking to children and finding a path to healing
School security
Public policy and mental illness
The mind of troubled shooters

Need to Know co-hosts Jeff Greenfield and Maria Hinojosa, and Nightly Business Report co-anchor Susie Gharib will serve as co-anchors for the special event with other prominent newscasters to be announced.

The program will be live-streamed to national audiences at PBS.org/afternewtown and will be available after broadcast. Viewers can learn more about the issues discussed on PBS programs at the website and are also encouraged to join the national conversation by using the Twitter hashtag #AfterNewtown.

Executive-in-charge: Neal Shapiro. Senior Executive Producer: Diane Masciale. Executive Producers: Mary Lockhart and Sally Garner.

What Next After Newtown: What Our Country and Communities Can Do is a production of WLIW/ WNET in New York.

For more information, visit: PBS.org/afternewtown.

In 2012, WNET is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York's flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah!and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

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