Beginning immediately after Election Day and through the end of January 2021, NHPR’s award-winning podcast Civics 101 will answer questions from listeners, teachers, students, and readers on a near-daily basis. For the next 100 days, the team behind the podcast will provide timely information for educators, students, and anyone interested in the foundations of U.S. democracy and our political institutions, by making usable and understandable content that will span broadcast, on-air and digital platforms.
In the lead-up to Election Day, Civics 101 produced election-related episodes, lesson plans, quizzes, graphic organizers and other tools to increase understanding about the election process -- from how the Electoral College works, to voting rights, presidential debates and the fundamentals of state and local elections. Now, in this unique period after the election, the Civics 101 team will tap questions from listeners to inform new content and provide context and understanding in the lead-up to Inauguration Day.
“In the aftermath of a historic election and a challenging time for our country, we understand there are questions about the voting process, questions about the transitions of power and leadership, and broader philosophical questions about what it all means for our democracy,” said Erika Janik, executive producer of Civics 101. “It’s our intent to give listeners pertinent, accessible and factual information that they can download or listen to in their own time and share with others.”
Listeners can look forward to 3-5 mini podcast-episodes per week, all under five minutes long, and all free and downloadable. The episodes will also be available in digital form at nhpr.org. Regular on-air segments and periodic specials will also bring the content to the airwaves.
NHPR initially launched Civics 101 after the 2016 elections, as a way to answer questions and address rising uncertainty among listeners. What was envisaged as a temporary project became one of NHPR’s signature podcasts, with hundreds of thousands of podcast listeners from throughout New Hampshire and across the country, plus listeners on a global scale interested in U.S. democracy. Building off four years of producing civics-related content, the team behind the podcast is uniquely positioned to play a role in addressing listeners’ concerns and answer questions, such as: How are ballots counted? What’s the likelihood of eliminating the Electoral College? How many contested elections have we seen in U.S. history? How do recounts work?
To see and hear content from Civics 101:
- Listen On-Air:
- Weekend Edition: Starting on Sunday, November 29, tune in for a Civics 101 segment at 9:35 a.m., featuring listener questions and answers about the post-election period.
- Morning Edition: Tuesday and Thursday mornings from November 5 through January 28th, listen to Morning Edition from 5 to 9 a.m. to hear four-minute “mini-episodes” on timely civics topics, as news warrants.
- Subscribe to the podcast on a platform of choice:
- Visit NHPR.org to see print versions of Civics 101 stories.
- Subscribe to the biweekly podcast newsletter.
- Follow Civics 101 on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.
NOTE: Listeners who donate to the podcast before November 19th can take part in a fun and informative trivia night, hosted virtually. The event will take place on Thursday, November 19 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern via Zoom. There will be four rounds, including an audio and a visual round, across a variety of subjects. Click here for more info.
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About NHPR
Since 1981, New Hampshire Public Radio has shaped the media landscape in the Granite State and beyond. Our mission is “Expanding minds, sparking connections, building stronger communities.” NHPR is broadcast from 14 different sites, making it by far New Hampshire’s largest (and only) statewide radio news service. Every week, NHPR is the choice of more than 157,000 listeners as a primary source of in-depth and intelligent news coverage, with thousands more viewing NHPR.org, following our social media sites or listening to our podcasts. Each day, New Hampshire Public Radio delivers several hours of local news reported by its award-winning news team. Locally produced programs and podcasts include The Exchange, The Folk Show, Outside/In, Bear Brook, and Civics 101, among others. NHPR is the exclusive outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life. www.nhpr.org
