Broadcast Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 11 pm • Tuesday, April 7 at 7 pm

Hosted by NJN’s Michael Aron (NJN News, On the Record, Reporters Roundtable), Citizens Wanted is a half-hour panel discussion program on the topic of civic engagement and its role in society. Taped before a live studio audience on March 17 at NJN Studios in Trenton, Citizens Wanted will air on March 29, following the NJN broadcast of the PBS national documentary Looking for Lincoln.

Panel members include Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson; New Jersey Chief Justice James R. Zazzali; Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, Third Circuit Court of Appeals and First Lady of Pennsylvania; and Civic Education Expert Arlene Gardner.

The bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday comes at a momentous time in American history. The challenges confronting the nation today cry out for a meaningful dialogue about the importance of an enlightened and engaged citizenry in the 21st century.  The energy and enthusiasm generated by the 2008 Presidential election process and the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama inspired millions of Americans to become more informed and involved in the political process. Many historians have drawn parallels between the 16th President and the current Commander in Chief. President Obama, too, has often cited Lincoln as a role model for leading the country in a time of crisis.

On March 29, NJN will broadcast Looking for Lincoln to serve as a launch pad to initiate an informed panel discussion of the issues facing both Presidents and the role that new public media has played in engaging Americans of all backgrounds and ages in civic issues, personal to them.

Purchase the DVD at the NJN Store