it gives me great pleasure to introduce tonight your maestro, frank sesno. [ applause ] >> thank you very much and good evening, everybody. this is quite a crowd. a testament to just how topical this is. before i bring out our guests for what is going to be a tremendously fascinating and unbelievably timely conversation, i just want to cover a couple of things. first i want to thank some special people who are here. we are able to have this conversation series and many of the other things we do at the school of media and public affairs and at george washington university generally because of the generosity and the support and the unwavering friendship of some special people at the school of media and public affairs. we have our national council, our national council chair is here, barbara bradley haggerty, john lansing whom i see. cornell belcher. so our national council members and to your support financial and otherwise that helps make this event and these sorts of things possible, i'd like to ask things possible, i want to thank you. i'd like to ask all of you to join me in thanki

frank sesno. emmy award-winning journalist and the creator of planetforward.org, a project.ia adamant we need an informed public if we are to have a healthy democracy. it gives me great pleasure to introduce your maestro. sesno.essna o -- frank [applause] thank you, this is quite a crowd. they testament to how to topical this is. before i bring out our guests for what will be a tremendously fascinating conversation, i want to thank some special people who are here. we are able to have this conversation and many other at georgedo washington university generally because of the generosity, the support, and the unwavering friendship of some special people at the school media affairs. we have our national council chair here. to our national council members and your support, financial or otherwise, that helps make this event and the sort of things you,ble, i want to thank and i want you to join me in thanking our wonderful friends. [applause] we are able to do is because of the generosity and philanthro