This Week on Bill Moyers Journal

Glendale Moyers Talkers meet tonight to discuss issues from the previous four weeks Bill Moyers Journal on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 7:00 PM in the upper level Learning Center of the Glendale Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale, CA 91205. Discuss, blog, participate. All points of view are welcome and all will be questioned in civil, civic engagement.

From the: "NEWSLETTER - Friday, January 25, 2008

“The elections are manipulated by religion, by money, by corporations. And then once the people are elected and they go to Washington, they fall under the influence of really serious money.” - John Grisham

This week on BILL MOYERS JOURNAL (KCET-TV)

Bill Moyers interviews John Grisham, best-selling author of The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and The Rainmaker, in a far-ranging conversation that gives viewers insight into the beliefs and background that influences Grisham's work and provides an unexpected look at his views about the state of the nation. “I get angry when you look at our democratic system, and I wonder how democratic it really is,” says Grisham, a former criminal defense attorney and former member of the Mississippi state legislature.

Economic downturn. Bill Moyers gets perspective on the state of the economy and what it means for Americans from Katherine S. Newman, author of The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America.

As spending on political television ads is set to reach a new record - 2.5 billion dollars - the JOURNAL looks at Big Media's opportunities to feed off the fat of the campaign trail.

A Bill Moyers essay separating the facts from the spin coming out of the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland.

On THE MOYERS BLOG

Rethinking our criminal justice system. Weigh in on John Grisham's notions of reform.

Tell us what you think paves the economic road ahead.

Read more from media correspondent Rick Karr.

Preview Bill Moyers essay. Each week, video, transcripts, and further resources and investigations from BILL MOYERS JOURNAL are available online at www.pbs.org/moyers."