Since its premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in February, For The Record, about The Canadian Record newspaper, has attracted much attention on a national level---including the PBS NewsHour, which will air a segment about the Record and Canadian on August 2.

For The Record, which was directed and produced by Emmy-winning filmmaker Heather Courtney, has also been shown in several other screenings since Big Sky: in Austin—including the International Symposium on Online Journalism; the 10th Annual Freep Film Festival in Detroit, Michigan; and in Washington D.C.’s DC/DOX film festival. Courtney approached Record editor/publisher Laurie Ezzell Brown in the summer of 2017, pitching the idea of doing a documentary about the daily life of a rural newspaper. She then filmed off and on over the next five years.

For the Record was brought to the attention of PBS NewsHour longtime anchor Judy Woodruff, who loved the film and felt it would be appropriate for her new PBS series titled “America at a Crossroads.” The goal of the two-year reporting project is to get to know America better. The series will culminate with the 2024 presidential election. Throughout, Woodruff is exploring the current divisions in America as she travels the country interviewing scholars, public figures, and ordinary people. She delves into how and why these divisions came about, and what we can do to find common ground.

Woodruff and her crew contacted Courtney and Brown about interviewing them in Canadian, as well as several local people. They arrived in Canadian on July 12 and spent a couple of days filming. Woodruff’s crew included senior coordinating producer Frank Carlson, producer Connor Seitchik, cameraman Nick Reid, and makeup artist Sharon Tabb. In addition to Courtney and Brown, Woodruff also interviewed Wendie Cook, executive director of The Citadelle Art Museum; rancher Steve Rader; and businessman John Julian.

Brown expressed her gratitude to Woodruff and her crew for their attention to the newspaper and the Canadian community. “I appreciate that they felt our story was one worth telling, and for traveling such a long distance to do so.” The Canadian Record suspended print publication on March 2, and since then has maintained its website (www.canadianrecord.com) and Facebook presence.

The installment of the PBS NewsHour segment, “America at a Crossroads,” will air at 6 pm, Wednesday, August 2, on Panhandle PBS KACV in Amarillo; and OETA in Oklahoma.