Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly 15th Season Opens with Segments Commemorating 10th Anniversary of 9/11, September 9, 2011 on PBS

Milestone Season of Award-Winning PBS Series Continues to Examine the Role of Religion and Ethics in Everyday Life

Exclusive Content and streaming videos available at pbs.org/religionandethics

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The most distinctive, informed and one-of-a-kind coverage of religion's role in American life, international news and major ethical issues, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, returned for its milestone 15th season on Friday, September 2, 2011 at 5 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). The weekly half-hour program, anchored by acclaimed journalist Bob Abernethy, continues the season with a second week of programming looking at the various aftereffects of 9/11.

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Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET New York Public Media, the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York's public television stations. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local documentaries and other programs to the New York community.

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly's award-winning team of correspondents, including Lucky Severson, Fred de Sam Lazaro, Judy Valente, Saul Gonzalez, Betty Rollin, Tim O'Brien, Deborah Potter and Bob Faw, along with series host Bob Abernethy and managing editor Kim Lawton, have traveled around the world to report on stories about the faith communities, filling a void that is often neglected by other mainstream media.

In Season 15, that tradition will continue with segments that explore the role religion will play in the 2012 elections and its involvement in various controversial issues; profiles of individuals whose faith impels them to extraordinary actions; pieces examining the role of religion in international affairs; and segments that explore medical ethics and bio-ethics issues.  The program will also continue its much-praised reporting on the role of spirituality in the lives of men and women of all religious traditions and none.

Winner of more than 145 awards — including the Sigma Delta Chi, the Gracie Allen, the Chicago TV Fest, New York Festival, and CINE Golden Eagle — the program has been hailed by the Religion Newswriters' Association for setting "a national standard for balanced and fair coverage of religious topics."  The program's Web site, www.pbs.org/religionandethics, has also been nationally recognized for its online creativity, innovation and content, winning the prestigious Webby Award from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

Since the program's beginning in 1997, its principal funder has been Lilly Endowment Inc. of Indianapolis.  Additional support for Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is provided by Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, the Estate of William J. Carter, The Jane Henson Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Arnold Labaton is Executive producer; Bob Abernethy, Host/Executive Editor; Phil O'Conner, Supervising Producer; Kim Lawton, Managing Editor; Stephen Segaller, Executive-in-Charge, WNET.

About WNET New York Public Media
WNET is America's flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as Great Performances, American Masters, Nature, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley 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, Noah Comprende 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 SundayArts, Reel 13, NJ Today and the new online newsmagazine MetroFocus.

SOURCE WNET New York Public Media