Great to see this response. I think the question came from the fact that the first three shows were all African-American centric, so I feel that several people (myself included) were not sure how "diverse" the show was going to be. Thanks for addressing the question! :)

Sent by Scott K. | 5:43 PM ET | 01-11-2007

As for the question...

It depends on what you mean by a "diverse radio program". When I hear the word diverse, I think of something that a wide range of focus. Not something that focuses on minorities. If the story is interesting to you, I think you should look into it, regardless of the people involved (in other words, who cares if they are in a "minority"?).

Also, a diverse radio program doesn't need white commentators. A diverse radio program, however, should not purposely avoid white commentators.

Sent by Scott K. | 5:48 PM ET | 01-11-2007

Michel, I love the show and you're doing a great job. As far as those dyspeptic cranks, they have to realize that the show is still in its infancy, so being able to tell stories with a wide range of focus will definitely come, but not right out the gate. I listen to several NPR podcasts on my mp3 player at work, and Rough Cuts is my favorite thus far.

And if push comes to shove, just rename it "Select Choice".

Sent by Karsh | 10:47 AM ET | 01-12-2007

I've listened to a few of your podcasts now and wonder what's the purpose of this show?

It sounds like you haven't found your voice. Some of the podcasts are organized like pale imitations of Talk of the Nation, but unlike TOTN where the purpose is to get the pulse of the people on the day's (or past few days') news, your program is neither current (Oprah's school and the HPV vaccine are old news) nor populous. The overall tone is of "Tavis Smiley wannabe".

To answer your question, no, a show emphasizing African-American view point to the exclusion of whites is not diverse. It's the Tavis Smiley show. It's people talking to their own in-group.

If you want to be a diverse show then you should focus on being interesting and seeking out different viewpoints and commenters regardless of who they are. In other words focus on the human. The diversity will follow. If you're trying to make NPR's line up more diverse then it doesn't matter if you exclude whites. Right now your program sounds like it's by and for African-Americans. As a white, I don't feel particularly invited to this program.

To answer another question, I'm very interested in hearing a program with diversity in voices and subjects. That's why I keep listening to see what this is going to be. Again, what's the purpose? Who's the audience? What makes this different from any other program on NPR? So far I don't hear anything that differentiates it. Develop a focus, breadth, and depth. The format will follow where the subject leads it.

Sent by Allears | 11:00 AM ET | 01-12-2007

To narrow a little bit the question above, the presence of voices that sound white doesn't seem necessary for the show to be diverse or welcoming. I think I'd agree with "allears" above, though that if there will be a theme of identity to the group that "diverse" is the wrong invitation to give everyone.

But it still can be an invitation. Ive been in many churches and homes where no one looked like me or talked about things I usually talk about and still felt welcome. I don't have to see myself represented to be interested or to participate.

In 1994 or so I heard Maya Angelou speak and use the same quotation, which I have repeated a thousand times if once.

Ordinary Oprahs was a great piece, by the way. And I do think I started to see better what the theme of this show may be. Discussing great matters from a perspective any of us might see from.

I guess to answer your questions one by one (you did ask, although I apologize for how long this is getting:)

I would consider a show diverse if it emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minorities, but "and other ethnic minorities" is critical. Not to be valuable but to be diverse.

I dont need to hear white commentators to consider the show diverse, although Id note that there have been a few white commentators on already but not (as far as Ive noticed) Asian or Latin.

To be honest, over the course of my life, Ive come to find ethnic diversity losing ground to other forms of diversity as something I attribute value to, largely, I think, because my life has grown more diverse ethnically. Obviously, though, theres a real problem with NPR's mission if the conversation is unrepresentative and I do think thats been the case and that this show, whether diverse or not in itself, will be a partial remedy.

Sent by Doug | 2:46 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Oh, won more thing I'd add. I'm a notorious dyspeptic crank. If I'm not behaving that way in this conversation, its to your credit, not mine.

Sent by Doug | 2:50 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I would like to address the previous post. The person who made those comments is like so many other people in this country who have a problem when black people concentrate on issues that affect their everyday lives. These issues often are no different from the issues that affect whites or other ethnic minorities. Oftentimes, however, the issues that African Americans address get NO attention in the "mainstream" media.

No one ever has a problem watching or listening to a program that is hosted/narrated by an all white team. You'd get no complaints if that shows agenda focused on a young white woman who has gone missing from her college campus, the latest in the ongoing Rosie-Trump feud, addressing "diversity fatigue", and Bono's latest philanthropic endeavor. A show that fit that description would be par for the course. Yet a show by an African American that fits a similar description is thought of as a "Tavis Smiley" wannabe. The assumption is that a show that does not have daily "white" commentary is somehow irrelevant.

Some white people talk about feeling excluded when they tune in to the Tavis Smiley show or News and Notes. These are the same whites that want to know why some black people go to almost exclusively black churches, why black people have their own institutions of higher learning (HBCU's), and why there is such a thing as BET (although I dislike much of its programming). The answer to these questions is quite simple. These institutions sprung forth from necessity. Blacks were not welcome in white schools, corporations, churches, or media outlets. Blacks were refused adequate educations as well as accurate portrayals in mainstream media. Someone with no knowledge of US culture and history would assume, upon watching a few hours of television, that the majority of a black person's life is focused on committing crime, playing sports, and rapping. They would assume that young black children never go missing or never excel in school. These are the images that are propagated through many of the most popular media outlets. I applaud Michel Martin for her efforts at promoting diversity. I am interested in hearing about the issues that don't get the coverage they deserve. I, as a young black man, have no problem tuning in to Hannity & Colmes but I also enjoy listening to Farai Chideya and the N&N Roundtable guests?..and there isn't anything wrong with that.

Sent by Delano Squires | 2:56 PM ET | 01-16-2007

1. Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse?

Yes.

2. Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you?

Diverse doesn't have to include every race/ethnicity every single time. But I would hope that it wouldn't mean that a particular race would be purposefully excluded. For instance, there are whites building schools in Africa.

3. How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse?

It makes things more interesting. Its not my first priority when deciding whether to listen to a particular episode or not--that is more dependent on topic.

Sent by Chris M. | 3:10 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse? Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you? How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse? We really want to know, so please be honest (and please be respectful).

I think that a program emphasizing minority commentators can be considered diverse. Information has to color. I read and listen to information no matter who is providing it and share it with others, especially if it enhances life in any way.

For the general population, they may need to hear from white commentators to believe what they are being told. Some people believe as long as the source is white, then it must be true and valid. I listen to what I hear no matter who reports it and do some additional research for my personal satisfaction.

Sent by Amorita Bramble | 3:25 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Something that I love about the radio and about NPR is that it is colorless. Listening to peoples voices without seeing them lessens preconceived notions. We relate to the speaker because of their story first.

A diverse program should be just that diverse. However, I also believe that a program does not need to make a special effort to have white commentators... just don't avoid them, just as you would try not to avoid any group. In the end, I think good stories make a program relevant to the listener regardless of ones color.

Sent by JR Kiessel | 3:31 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I must say, your format sounds interesting. Diversity? Yes, please. Like one of the other respondents said, neither seek out nor reject an interesting topic because of the ethnicity of its originator. If the topic is inherently interesting, no one will think very much about who started the discussion, or care.

Let's see. I'm white, older middle aged, and have'nt heard your show, more's the pity. I have a new computer that I haven't completely gotten working, so can't catch the rebroadcasts or podcasts, but we'll get there.

In spite of being solidly Caucasian, I have lived in a multi ethnic household several times in my life. One of my favorite family "conflicts" was with a Godson over the proper way to make Frybread. I had lots of methods, he had only the one that had been taught him by some elder in his tribe. He was actually a mixed blood individual--Euchee and African American. His mother, pure Euchee, was more open to the variations than he was. Maybe she doesn't have to work as hard to prove she belongs. She also likes the way I make their traditional wild grape dumplings. Simply put, I won't do it with Welch's grape juice. It has to be Fox grapes to be authentic. Her non English speaking grandmother was delighted by the dumplings...hadn't had them since her youth. Boiled meat with Hominy is good, but I can do without Sofke.

Sent by Janice Garvin | 4:18 PM ET | 01-16-2007

When I listen to a radio show the color of their skin is not important because 1. I cannot see them and 2. as long as they are smart and bring various view points to the table who cares what color they are. For me diversity means varying view points, experiences, and thoughts...not the color of ones skin.

Sent by Sarah | 5:17 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse? Yes. In fact, it remains diverse if it also includes discussions of when a member of the majority find themselves in a situation when they are the minority. How does it feel to switch societal positions?

Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you? Nope, but the show getting a Caucasian point-of-view about dealing with diversity from time to time wouldn't hurt.

How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse? Very important.

This morning, I listened to an old favorite song of mine -- Green Days "Minority" from their from their 2000 album Warning:. For some odd reason, the angst of the song resonated with me, but it does have a title that conjures thoughts about diversity.

The bands lead singer, Billy Joe Armstrong, once told a fan website that "[t]he song is about being an individual and how you have to drift through the darkness to find where you belong" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_%28song%29).

Regardless of how we fit into society, we all must find our own niche, but why do some of want to assume the minority status when we may not qualify for it?

Sent by Steve Petersen | 5:37 PM ET | 01-16-2007

From my point of view, it doesn't matter one white the ethnicity of the commentator, so long as he or she knows what they are talking about, and as long as they speak/write in a manner that says they understand the nuance of the words they've chosen. If they cant at least do that, then it says to me first, that they've chosen the wrong field and second, that I've chosen the wrong program to listen to.

Sent by LaVon | 5:47 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Hi Michel,

My name is Mallory and I'm a synagogue director in Richmond, Virginia. I just subscribed to your podcast and I love it! Thank you, and thanks also to your fabulous colleagues for all of their hard work.

I love that you're asking for feedback. It is very exciting to be part of your creative process.

I must say that I skipped listening to the Christmas-themed episodes - not my thing - so I cant comment. However, I loved listening to your discussion about HPV and also to the micro-lending/global giving episode. My mother has HPV and I micro-lend to Kava online (hows that for a match?!) I'm thrilled that with this show, NPR is trying to attract new listeners and to better serve the atypical demographic of their listeners. I think it would be great If this show ends up catering to a primarily African American group of listeners. I think it would be better if you invited people from all different cultures and races to tell their stories on your show. Ill tune in as long as I can identify with the topics, but don't be afraid of alienating me - I have a lot of listening options.

I like hearing from everyday people instead of industry professionals, but I think the show would be better if the interviews were longer.

Thanks.

Sent by Mallory Davis | 5:56 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Great show Michel, thank you. I wish you and the team on Rough Cuts every success. I live in Portland and a 14 year old boy was killed recently. His Mother works in the social services field and had him connected to every support she could get, but he still started running with the wrong crowd. I have a 7 year old son, who is sweet as pie. But I wonder...are there signs for parents to look for? What can we do to protect AND teach our children to be strong, healthy, smart, and confident AND keep them from the wrong friends.

Could you think about a show on Parenting and looking at the early signs to prevent future tragedy? Thanks.

Sent by Vanetta Abdellatif | 6:01 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Dear Michel Martin,

I have enjoyed listening to a few of your podcasts. I enjoyed the Christmas one about the womens perspective on Christmas traditions and what they do in their own homes.

I am white, but I have given thought to the sad fact that there are very few positive ethnic dolls out there. The Bratz series comes to mind, but those seem like they are for older children, not the Disney Princess crowd.

One comment I would like to make is that, while the show is engaging, it claims to want diverse perspectives, but topics and guests seem to be a bit lopsided towards African American viewpoints. Perhaps you could have guests of other backgrounds on your show. What do Asian-Americans do for Christmas? Hispanic families?

I think that your topics are great, but the guest list could be expanded. I have always been interested in other cultures and I would be more likely to call into the show.

Thank you for bringing some important information into public discussion!

Sent by Karen Morris | 6:04 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I believe the future of our world requires that we all listen and hear ideas from "ethnic minorities". The ethnicity of the commentator is not the issue. The chance to hear a variety of opinions is what I consider important. I enjoy being challenged to think about issues from a different perspective.

I have not listened to any of the podcasts. I am a regular NPR listener and supporter. I will look forward to the new program.

Sent by Karen P. | 6:19 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Good Morning,

I've pasted the following to refer to in my response.

> Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse?

Diversity as an aim seems shallow. Content will always trump diversity.

> Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you?

What we hear can be misleading. Sometimes a "black voice" is not readily apparent and as "black" becomes ever more the chic, the "white voice" can be equally hard to distinguish. I was delightfully shocked to find out that Mark Austin Thomas is black and not because of any adversity to "black voice" but because it was like that discovery was like removing another brick from the wall. I find I have a very definite prejudice to commentators that project a folksy, cowboy-common sense, wisdom voice. To me it is contrived and so out of fashion that it seems very high-hatted and preachy. What I do find though, is that voices are infused with the spirit of the speaker and that we kind of fall in love with that package. Our capacity to love, fortunately, has little to do with white.

> How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse?

I think that it is important to the extent that there are people that feel oppressed, left out and underappreciated. As those conditions disappear, I don't know that I would necessarily make the distinction. Perhaps like music, I might have a preference based on the lilt, tone, resonance, ambiance, or whatever it is that makes music appealing. The talk show will have to evolve to recognize that it really has so little to say and that what people really want is ...? joy, contentment, love. We dont need problems, strife, unrest. Would people listen to a show that believed that? I think so ironically. Eventually, if not readily.

> We really want to know, so please be honest (and please be respectful).

Sent by Reed Sullivan | 6:22 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Michele,

Thank you very much for this post. It addressed perfectly the comments I'd made in the other threads regarding "diversity" and the intent of this show. Thanks again.

As for the specific questions you asked at the end...

> Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse?

To me, that depends on how narrow a point of view you use. For instance, if one show focuses primarily on issues relating to African-Americans and the next focuses primarily on Asian-Americans, I don't really think that qualifies as "diverse." Yes, at the 10,000 foot level it would appear so, but I tend to look at how each program stands as an indivisible unit. In other words, I'd like to see a diverse panel of guests and opinions in each show rather than have them segregated to different programs every week. Each program could focus on a particular issue and perhaps have a primary guest/expert from the specific racial/ethnic background to which the topic relates, but I'd still like to hear opinions from other races/sexes/ages/orientations on that same topic.

> Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you?

Not necessarily. I'm a white male, but that doesn't mean I don't have anything in common with African American women. For instance, I could relate with the Mocha Moms to a certain extent as parents, whereas I might not have anything in common with old older, wealthier, single, childless white males. However, I do think that there needs to be more diversity in the panel of guests. Not just racially/ethnically, but age/gender/etc. diversity, too.

> How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse?

Very. Isn't that the point?

They say to "write what you know," and my guess would be that the same rule of thumb could be applied to radio journalism, too. You're an African American woman. You know what it's like to be an African American woman, and you're going to bring a perspective to nearly any issue that I couldn't possibly understand fully. I need to hear that perspective from the source. That said, though, the inverse is also true, and I think we do a disservice to listeners when we forget what a diverse crowd should really be.

Thanks again,

Justin

Sent by Justin Stanley | 6:40 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I honestly haven't listened yet, and I will, but it might be interesting to take a person who has written a particularly interesting blog (assuming you'll operate a blog in conjunction with the show) and use that person as part of the panel. That would be a really neat way to hear new perspectives, but also hopefully be able to select people who are a little more interesting and qualified to speak than your phone in or man on the street discussion.

Sent by Jay Gagnon | 6:53 PM ET | 01-16-2007

Hi Michel,

I appreciate what you're trying to do and I think that there should be better programming for African Americans or People of Color. What frustrates me are your intros on all of the podcasts. You want [this show] to "serve my needs" but it's clear this program is aimed almost exclusively at an audience I am not a member of. Why don't you call it what it is and be proud of that? My voice or opinion won't be welcome anyway - I am white and we hear enough from us as it is. : ) Sincerely, Tracy

Sent by Tracy Ball | 7:02 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I haven't heard the show yet, but I do listen to the News and Notes Roundtable podcast regularly. There are times when a particular segment doesn't interest me, as a white person, but for the most part I enjoy listening to people who are coming at the issues from a slightly different perspective than my own.

I also agree with Scott K above - I don't think you need to seek out white contributors, but I do think you should use the best people for the topic at hand, regardless of what color they happen to be.

Sent by Janine | 7:07 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I'm looking forward to hearing the Rough Cut stories, but to address your question, I like to hear stories with a definite point of view just not always the same one.

I guess a "diverse show" doesn't HAVE to have a "white" voice/point of view, but why not? There is a huge range among "white" folks, as in any group, and just because some "white" voices are heard a lot does not mean that untold stories and unique perspectives aren't out there for your show to find. So maybe a really diverse show would have "white" voices, too.

Sent by Sonja | 7:09 PM ET | 01-16-2007

I've just discovered your show and listened to all the podcasts in the last few days

I've really enjoyed the show so far and found all the topics interesting. I like that you've found regular people to talk to about very specific topics. It adds a popular quality to the show, as if you might come to any one of us to ask our opinion.

I was born in India, grew up in the US, and currently live in the UK. I think the "diversity" of the show would be helped by not always picking topics that are exclusively of African-American interest. I think the HPV episode was quite of general American interest and wouldn't have known that you nor the guests on the show were all African-American (were they all? I actually still don't know for that show). However, the episode about celebrating Christmas was very African-centric. The most recent one on schools in Africa was quite a bit as well, though there was mention of schools in Brazil. I think it wouldn't have hurt to get an Indian on the show who's started a school back in India -- I know there are many who have! Or even Chinese and China, I'm pretty sure some of them have as well.

Anyway, I'm pleased to listen to the show and will continue to do so, however, I do feel that it is fairly limited in its scope so far. On the other hand, as a fellow minority, I find I identify with African-Americans a bit more than many white people do, and can relate to the experience, generally. So even if it continued to be narrow in focus, I think I'd still listen.

Sent by Tora Smulders-Srinivasan | 2:09 PM ET | 01-17-2007

I would love to hear more diverse voices on NPR, and welcome the chance to listen to views from people of all ethnic and social backgrounds. Should you have to have "whites" on the show to appeal to "whites?" No, but neither should you exclude them out of hand. I agree with the comments by a previous poster that if something is interesting to you it should not have to pass an ethnicity test. Please get past the idea that white people only listen to"white" shows, black people only to "black shows", etc., etc. You wont be able to be all things to all people, so go with who you are I'm already interested!

Sent by E. O. | 2:17 PM ET | 01-17-2007

There seems to be a severe gap in any programming which really cuts into and dissects the every day lives of humans - be they American or not - dealing with intolerance and bigotry. The reason I do not support the local NPR station where I live (Tallahassee, Fl.) is that the program is very narrowly defined locally - and fails measurably to ever address in a critical way issues of diversity - Thus, we need a voice in America to talk about race in a very personal manner and I would hope your hew show "Rough Cuts" would at least dedicate some of its time to that issue.

Sent by Sunny Stewart | 2:31 PM ET | 01-17-2007

Having listened to the promo-blurbs, I was very interested in downloading the program. I have a long commute, and I enjoy hearing a diversity of programing. So the word "diverse" was a draw for me.

Unfortunately, after listening to the first several programs, it seems that "diverse" is one of those words with different meanings for different people. The target audience is clearly intended to be African-American women. Since I'm neither black nor female, the program isn't trying to be of interest to me.

Too bad.

Sent by Martin | 2:36 PM ET | 01-17-2007

This is the first entry I've read, but I am an avid listener of NPR and really excited about this process. I do not see diversity as an exclusive right of African American or ethnic commentators. Diversity is so much more and when any voice is excluded, something is missing. Any attempt to define diversity in a context like the one I live in, Los Angeles, must include people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, political view points, races, genders, faiths, and lifestyles. This having been said, how many of the other voices on NPR are white? If the majority of them are white, is it necessary for them to be heard on this show? Aren't "white" voices heard all of the time? Be careful not to exclude, but to provide a forum for those whose voices are least likely to be heard and always invite all stakeholders to contribute to the conversation.

Sent by Spring Cooke | 3:06 PM ET | 01-17-2007

Good morning Michel,

Your program sounds great! Thank you for requesting feedback. I am wondering if you would consider addressing an issue of concern to me.

I'm a 47-year old Caucasian with very little experience in ethnic diversity. Within my circle of close friends I can only count 2 minority women (Korean and African American). I welcome, but do not purposefully seek out, opportunities to interact with minorities. During my brief occupation as a teacher of high school drop-outs pursuing their GED's and in my current job as a librarian in our public library, I daily encounter people from various races and attempt to treat all with equal care and attention. But I do vary in my presentation of such care.

A few weeks ago, and for the first time in my life, I was called a racist by an African American woman who felt that I was creating library rules against her. It was an awful feeling. Racist! The term and concept are anathema to me! I was totally caught off guard. I do understand that her presumption was that the library rules were only for people of her skin color. (This was, of course, totally false) But I am aggravated that she would presume me, personally, to be capable of such hatred and would so readily label me. Could I not just as easily have referred to her as a racist, for having treated me thus based on MY skin color?

There have been times when I have observed a group of African American women just having a ball together and have wanted to jump in and be a part of such a carefree atmosphere. But I know that I would not be totally comfortable in this particular atmosphere of friendship. My cultural upbringing was more reserved and less emotional. But does that make me a racist?

It is my strong belief that recognizing that various ethnicities carry unique cultural attributes does not make me a racist. I have certain cultural expectations of my Asian, African American, and Caucasian library patrons, and I cater my care of them to those expectations. Does that make me a racist when all I'm trying to be is sensitive to them? Can't we agree that "cultural diversity" doesn't mean we all have to be comfortable in each other's ethnic sphere? Isn't it okay to enjoy our identity with our people group and have personal pride in our family legacy and heritage without being refereed to as being racist? Isn't it racism only when we treat someone in a negative fashion based on their cultural ethnicity? And is racism reserved for minorities?

Thank you for taking time to read my comments. I wish you great success in your endeavor and hope that you can make a positive difference in the lives of many.

Sincerely,

~Heidi

Sent by Heidi | 3:13 PM ET | 01-17-2007

I am so frustrated with these postings. I just want to scream or spit or something. I am an African American woman that listens to NPR all day long. On my regular station FM 89.5, we don't even carry News and Notes. I have to turn to the local HBCU radio station to catch it. What is wrong with my fellow NPR listeners? I live my life watching and listening to white people every day. I don't even watch BET. Why is it that there is ONE show on NPR that just might focus on African American issues from an African American perspective and voice and the NPR community is up in arms? I am so disappointed.

I thought we were the enlightened ones. I am not obese but I watch shows about obesity. I am not Asian but I listen to shows about the Asian American experience. I am not a man but I want to know about prostate cancer. I cannot believe this is such a big deal. It should be an African American show. Will the show talk about diabetes, yes. Black people get diabetes and a major problem but others do too. So listen in on the conversation. Should there be a show on hair styles and the work place. Yes, but you might be a White person that has an African American staff member that has a less mainstream hairstyle. Maybe you can learn something. Should the show talk about how painful it is for a Black person, who loves NPR and thinks so highly of her fellow listeners, to read about how it is not ok to have a show that focuses on African American issues and has a Black voice. I wake up and go to sleep to NPR and Terry Gross, Garrison Keillor, Ira Glass, Peter Sagal, and Cokie Roberts aren't Black. But I am.

Sent by Tessa | 4:55 PM ET | 01-22-2007

Michel Martin-

Thank you for letting the public see how NPR creates new programming. It's very exciting and illuminating to see how the "news" is chosen and produced.

Can a program that emphasizes African-American and other ethnic minority commentators still be considered diverse?

Of course, but are you planning to keep your focus on mostly African-American commenters and interest, aka News & Notes, or do you really want to open up to a more diverse audience. I would still listen if you decide to focus mainly on the African-American experience.

Of course I would be incredibly excited to see perspectives from Asian, Latin, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. It's very rare to find those experiences anywhere in the mainstream. Including those oh-so hip blogs that are so popular.

Do you need to hear from white commentators to consider a program appealing and relevant to you?

No. Because the majority of the news mediums are still made up of white reporters, writers, editors and staffers, I don't feel that diversity is added by their presence on a show like this. As a white female, I'm surrounded by enough white voices.

How important is it to you to hear voices that sound ethnically diverse? We really want to know, so please be honest.

Very important. I'm hopeful that your program will be able bring new & exciting voices, and viewpoints to NPR that help us all constantly re-evaluate the way we look at the world.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Sent by Julie | 4:59 PM ET | 01-22-2007

Michel,

Its not a wonder if some are asking whether this will be a "black" show or not. I am black myself, and it seems to me that whenever you take over for Neal Conan on Talk of the Nation the subject matter almost always takes on a "racial" tone. When this happens, I always find myself counting the days when Neal comes back! I don't really remember it being like that when Juan Williams was the host.

I'm therefore delighted to hear that this new show is going to have more universal appeal. The color of our skin shouldn't dictate the color of the commentary! I hope you are able to devote an entire hour on the pros and cons of satellite radio one week, while another time you might talk about the special demands placed on women in government in general, from rhetoric to wardrobe.

I realize you cant be all things to all people, but I personally am appreciative of the attempt to have something worthwhile for more than a few people.

Thanks for the opportunity!

Sent by Iris M. Gross | 5:44 PM ET | 01-22-2007

Michel, you look GREAT in those pants!

I am always disappointed when diversity" means only racial/ethnic diversity. There are so many other factors that color our human perspective. I also find that the organizations that are the most interestingly diverse are those that just ARE diverse. They don't talk about how diverse they are. Those that seem to need to talk about their diversity are often those with the "token" representative of color or gender or sexuality or class, but who don't truly *involve* everyone.

I also think it is a bit disingenuous to use the word "diversity" as a gentler (or perhaps more PC) way of saying "we are doing a show from an African-American perspective." So far, you are. You are framing your stories from the viewpoint of an African-American person. See introductory paragraphs of the Herman Badillo story for an example of what I mean. There were plenty of Hispanic-related leads for that story and they were not used. You ARE an African-American person, why cant you just say that you plan to approach a wide variety of subjects from an African-American viewpoint because it is an interesting and different viewpoint for NPR?

I listen to NPR to hear stories on topics I don't hear from other media outlets, or that are presented in a different way. I welcome the addition of your voice to those already hear.

Sent by Keri | 6:05 PM ET | 01-22-2007

I think it is far more important what commentators say than what ethnic group they belong to. I personally don't care what color a commentator is, but I care a lot about what they say. Some sound so great that I enjoy hearing them say anything. For example, Snecra Percosh (I know I'm not spelling her name correctly, but I cant find her listed in your staff), speaks so well that Id listen to her read the dictionary. So, best wishes.

Sent by Don | 6:07 PM ET | 01-22-2007

I think its great to have a show just for African American women.....just don't call it diverse.

I'd listen to it just because it would be like eaves-dropping on a life I can never truly experience. I'm not the kind of person who likes the terms diverse or politically correct. I believe that everyone has prejudices and that underdogs have more of a reason to keep those prejudices as they grow older and not necessarily wiser. Were all human and were all different with different prejudices. As I grow older, I find that people who want to beat the drum about our differences in a negative way, aren't helping the human condition.
Its fun and interesting and educational that were all different - we don't have to be everybody's cup of tea. To respect those differences,without kowtowing or gushing,is wonderful. I don't think we can respect those differences without finding the common threads of humanity. Id never want to destroy those differences either - a world where everyone speaks the same language, has the same color skin (I have nightmares about waking up in a world where everyone is cafe latte with medium brown hair and medium brown eyes), eats the same things......scary. What would be left to learn about each other?

I'm a white female, 57 years old - I have almost made a career out of asking people what their prejudices are...just because at some point I realized that there are ALL sorts of bizarre biases out there. Its an eye-opening experience. My first encounter with this was in Junior High School in Baltimore City - during this time, I had crushes on various boys.....one Chinese, 2 or 3 Jews, and a black guy. I had no clue at the time that they would consider me icky because I was white bread or goy.....partly because I had girlfriends that ran the gamut. Being a WASP was starting to be a disadvantage in some weird way. My parents did instill a bizarre prejudice in me - anti-Catholic. Other than that, they said everyone was basically the same. I'm sure they had other prejudices but thats the one that really stuck with me until I started dating non-religious Catholic guys (you know, those that weren't trying to convert me or assuming that I would go to hell because I was Protestant). I assumed that if another person had the same interests as I did, that we could be friends. So over the years, much to my chagrin, Ive learned about many different prejudices that would never have even crossed my mind. It amazes me what parents pass down to their kids. One woman from a very rural section of the South(and she was 35 at the time) asked me if I could tell if my Jewish boyfriend had had a tail at one time.....she was being truly sincere and all I could think was Oh my god. I had never heard of such a thing. Since then, I have tried to listen and gather these bizarre prejudices and to understand where they originate. Its fascinating and enlightening.

I have come to the conclusion that what separates us is extremely complex - religion, politics, economic status, gender, race, our parents views, our personal fears of rejection, education - but we can find people of every type that we DO connect with and enjoy. I have also learned that no matter what laws we pass, no matter how many people gush over diversity, no matter how many TV shows and religions tell us to love one another - there will always be prejudice of some sort. South Park probably put it the best with their show about the future with Cartman caught in a battle between 2 atheist groups, the only sects left on earth. So, regardless of this basic cynicism, I continue to plod on, taking people one at a time and loving the experience.

Thats why I think a show about African American women is a good idea....there should be a show for every group out there that feels they need to be heard - calm, sane shows.....reveling in the differences.

Sent by Nancy | 6:16 PM ET | 01-22-2007

The more diversity in the overall programming, the better.
Personnel, too.
Too bad I have to do my listening on the radio. Go ahead. Air something new.

Sent by Karen | 12:05 AM ET | 01-23-2007

THANK YOU!!!!! for such a great show.... I happen to see your picture on NPRs home page and right clicked, discovering a new world.I enjoyed your segments about christmas, especially Santa Claus. Growing up in the deep south during the sixties and seventies I had very little exposure of non white christmas (highly religeous household). In my early adulthood I discovered Kwanza. Although I am not a mother, the time is taken with my neices to expose them to the world. I look forward to hearing future segements of your show.

Sent by D. Knight | 10:45 AM ET | 02-01-2007

In my opinion, a show is diverse if it brings forth new angles expressing differences in subject matter and content. Perhaps there is no over all theme for a diverse show or it would not be diverse. I want a daily surprise. I am a white american female, but desire stories unrelated to my life and culture as much if not more than those related to my ethnic background. I do not think that there should be a specific emphasis on a show such as stories based on minorities if diversity is the desired theme. I will however still tune into a show that does decide to narrow down the field and shift toward minority stories though i would not find it to be diverse for that reason. I am anxious to see the direction this show takes as i listen to NPR about 5 hours everyday. Thank you for your time.

Sent by Aubrey | 3:25 PM ET | 02-07-2007