The Aspen Institute

–Connecting the Leaders of Today with the Ideas of Tomorrow–

Washington, D.C. (September 21, 2011) – The Atlantic, in partnership with the Aspen Institute and the Newseum, will present the third annual Washington Ideas Forum on October 5 and 6, 2011, in the nation’s capital. Through a series of headline interviews, a cross-section of leaders from government, business, education, and the media will engage in a high-level, 360-degree analysis of the year that has passed and the year that lies ahead. 

Confirmed newsmakers joining in the discussions include: Vice President Joe Biden; Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH); NBC News President Steve Capus; former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter and co-author Liz Cheney; White House Chief of Staff William Daley; Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner; film director Alex Gibney; Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama; Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State; MSNBC’s Chris Matthews; Brian Moynihan, President and CEO of Bank of America; Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan; CBS News President David Rhodes; economist Alice Rivlin; Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL); Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), chairman of the House Budget Committee; Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; Google’s Eric Schmidt; ABC News President Ben Sherwood; ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles. 

Participating journalists include: MSNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, The Atlantic’s James Bennet, NBC News’ Tom Brokaw, The New York Times’ David Brooks, Atlantic Media Company’s Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons, National Journal’s Charlie Cook, ABC News’ Katie Couric, The Atlantic’s James Fallows, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, NBC News’ David Gregory, PBS NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill, CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, American Public Media’s Kai Ryssdal, NBC News’ Chuck Todd, FOX News’ Chris Wallace, NBC News’ Brian Williams, and Fox News’ Juan Williams.

“The Washington Ideas Forum has quickly established itself as an excellent venue for policy makers and prominent thinkers to debate and discuss serious challenges facing the country,” said James Bennet, editor of The Atlantic. “We’re excited to once again join with the Aspen Institute and the Newseum, and we look forward to the conversations that will emerge this year.” 

Elizabeth Baker Keffer, president of AtlanticLIVE added, “We have assembled a stellar lineup of more than 60 speakers—business and civic leaders, plus leading journalists from every major network and top print and radio outlets. The Washington Ideas Forum will once again be a destination event this fall.”

“It is true to the spirit of the Aspen Institute that we bring together leaders of different ideologies, industries, and backgrounds for the kind of vibrant yet civil exchange that is so sorely lacking today,” said Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute. “I could not be more pleased that we’re partnering with The Atlantic and the Newseum again for this important event.”

The editorial board for the 2011 Washington Ideas Forum comprises David Bradley, James Bennet, Shelby Coffey, Margaret Carlson, and Steve Clemons. Presenting underwriters include Allstate, Bank of America, Comcast, ExxonMobil, Thomson Reuters, UTC, and Siemens.

For those unable to attend in person at the Newseum, the event programming and content, including livestream video of all mainstage events, will be covered on TheAtlantic.com. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Atlantic_LIVE and www.twitter.com/AspenInstitute, #IdeasForum.

For press credentials, please contact Natalie Raabe at nraabe@theatlantic.com or 202-266-7533. Additional media details for portions of the event will be forthcoming. 

About The Atlantic

Since 1857, The Atlantic has played a central role in shaping the national debate on current affairs and cultural trends.  Dedicated to bold, independent, diverse, and highly reasoned perspectives, its writers, bloggers, and critics represent the best in American journalism.  The Atlantic’s award-winning commentary and coverage can be found in its magazine, on its website at www.TheAtlantic.com, and at more than 60 events a year produced by its industry-leading events division, AtlanticLIVE.

About The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

About the Newseum

The Newseum, a 250,000-square-foot museum of news, educates the public about the value of a free press in a free society and tells the stories of the world’s important events in unique and engaging ways. The Newseum blends 500 years of news history, up-to-the-second technology, and hands-on exhibits for a one-of-a-kind museum experience, featuring seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services taking visitors behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.

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