The Advocates: A Retrospective on an Important And Still Relevant Innovation in Public Affairs Television

Abstract

Before Roger Fisher founded the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, he was nationally recognized for having created an award-winning public affairs television show, The Advocates, which aired on the Public Broadcasting System. Over the course of its five seasons, beginning in 1969 (plus additional shows in 1978-79 and in 1984), The Advocates previewed some of the ideas that appeared in Roger’s many writings and, eventually, as part of the Program on Negotiation itself. The Advocates was produced initially through a joint effort by WGBH in Boston and KCET in Los Angeles, two flagship stations in the public broadcasting network. The Advocates addressed issues ranging from civil disobedience to same-sex marriage. In some cases, the shows are more than four decades old, but many of the issues are still timely. The Advocates used a modified trial format to debate what Fisher called an “important public trouble,” not in the abstract, but in terms of what Fisher called “a decidable question” — a situation where someone, whether a public figure or an individual citizen at home, had to decide what to do. Viewers in the studio audience or at home in their living rooms were invited to weigh in by mail, and during the first season, a remote audience on location somewhere else in the country offered their opinions as well. He saw this as part of an effort to help citizens make “public affairs your affairs.” This article provides background on The Advocates, describes Roger Fisher’s role in it, and offers some of the lessons the show has for us even after over forty years. The article also includes links to clips from several episodes available in the WGBH Open Vault and contains a list of other The Advocates shows that were produced.While Professor Fisher is no longer with us, we can continue to learn from his example.