One of Friendly's many achievements was the creation of Media and Society Seminars (MSS). Conducted by Columbia University, the seminar series brought politicians, doctors, journalists, and other specialists together for moderated round-table discussions on challenging ethical dilemmas. Friendly stressed that the goal was, "not to make up anybody's mind, but to open minds; to make the agony of decision-making so intense that you can only escape it by thinking." From the time of its founding in 1974 until Friendly stepped down as producer in 1992, MSS orchestrated over 600 seminars on diverse topics including medical malpractice, affirmative action, abortion, and business ethics. Many of these were televised on PBS, and several were also offered on VHS tapes, along with workbooks and discussion questions to be used as "telecourse" series in high school and college classrooms. The program was later renamed Fred Friendly Seminars in his honor.
The series is comprised primarily of seminar transcripts, but also includes proposals and planning notes, research notes, film production information, promotional packets for telecourses, and drafts of "hypotheticals"—the scenarios that provided the focus of each discussion. Items have been arranged by seminar title.
AIDS in Society
, 1988
Box 105 Folder F.3
The Agony of Decision --Notes, 1991
Box 105 Folder F.4
American Business Association Meeting--Notes, 1991
Anatomy of a Libel Case: Business vs. the Media
, 1984-1985
Box 105 Folder F.5
Research Notes, 1985
Box 105 Folder F.6
Promotional Items, 1984
Box 105 Folder F.7-8
Transcripts, 1984, (2 Folders)
Box 106 Folder F.1-2
Transcripts, 1984 February 4
Box 106 Folder F.3
Balancing Health Care Costs --Notes and Seminar Packet, 1986
Box 106 Folder F.4
Bridging the Gap --Proposal, 1989
Box 106 Folder F.5
Book Publishing and the First Amendment --Conference Report, 1975 April 18-20
Broadcast Media and the Law
, 1980 July 29-30
Box 106 Folder F.6
Brochures and Programs
Folder F.7-9
Transcripts, (3 Folders)
Box 107 Folder F.1
Broadcasting and the Constitution --Research Notes and Program, 1987
Business and the Entrepreneurial American City
, 1988
Box 107 Folder F.2-6
Research and Panel Topics, (5 Folders)
Box 107 Folder F.7
Symposium Outline
Box 108 Folder F.1
Business Ethics Seminar--Transcript, undated
Folder F.2-3
Changing Times/Hard Choices
, 1991, (2 Folders)
Box 108 Folder F.7
The Constitution
, 1987
Constitution Seminar Proposal, 1979
Box 108 Folder 8
Promotional Items, 1984
Box 109
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
Box 109 Folder F.1
Promotional Items, 1984
Box 109 Folder F.2
Photographs, 1984
Box 109 Folder F.3-4
Correspondence, 1984, (2 Folders)
Box 109 Folder f.5
Reviews, 1983-1984
Box 109 Folder f.6
Video Editing Information, 1984
Box 109 Folder f.7-9
Workshops, 1984, (3 Folders)
Box 110
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
Box 110 Folder F.1-8
Workshops, 1984, (8 Folders)
Box 111
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
Box 111 Folder F.1
Education Telecourse Curriculum Use Report, 1984
Box 111 Folder F.2
Discussion Guides, 1984
Box 111 Folder F.3
Correspondence Regarding Book, 1984
Transcripts
Box 111 Folder F.4
Program 1: "The President vs. Congress: Executive Privilege and the Delegation of Powers,", 1983
Box 111 Folder F.5
Program 2: "War Powers: The President and Congress,", 1984
Box 111 Folder F.6
Program 3: "Nomination, Election and Succession of the President,", 1984
Box 111 Folder F.7
Program 4: "Criminal Justice and a Defendant's Right to a Fair Trial,", 1983 January 12
Box 111 Folder F.8
Program 6: "Crime and Punishment,", 1984 February
Box 112 Folder F.1
Program 6: "Crime and Punishment,", 1984 February 8
Box 112 Folder F.2
Program 8 "National Security and Freedom of the Press,", 1984
Box 112 Folder F.3
Program 9: "School Prayer, Gun Control, and the Right to Assemble,", 1983 January 19
Box 112 Folder F.4
Program 10: "The Sovereign Self: Right to Live, Right to Die,", 1984
Box 112 Folder F.5
Program 12: "Affirmative Action and Reverse Discrimination,", 1983 February 2
Box 112 Folder F.6
Program 13: "Federalism: The National Government vs. The States,", 1984
Box 112 Folder F.7
"The Trail from Independence Hall: The Constitution in the Classroom,", undated
Box 112 Folder F.8
Case Studies 1A and 1B, undated
Box 113 Folder F.1
Case Study 1B, undated
Box 113 Folder F.2
"State Terror,", 1984 January 9
Box 113 Folder F.3
"Separation of Church and State,", 1984
Box 113 Folder F.4
Containment and the Future --Program, 1985 November 7-8, 1985 November
Box 113 Folder F.5
Criminal Justice, the News Media, and the Constitution --Program and Notes, 1987
Box 113 Folder F.6
The Crisis in American Healthcare --Proposal, 1991
Folder F.7
A Decade of Hard Choices --TV scripts, 1992
Folder F.3
Ethical Decision Making in America --Proposal, 1986
Box 115
Ethics in America
Box 115 Folder F.1
Production Agreement, 1984
Box 115 Folder F.2-3
Production Binder, 1987, (2 Folders)
Box 115 Folder F.4
Telecourse Promotional Items, 1988-1989
Box 115 Folder F.5
Seminar Participant Correspondence, 1987-1988
Box 116
Ethics in America
Box 116 Folder F.1-2
Workshops--General, 1988-1989, (2 Folders)
Box 116 Folder F.3
Promotional Brochures and Packet, 1989
Transcripts
Box 116 Folder F.4-5
"Ethics in Government," circa, 1989, (2 Folders)
Box 116 Folder F.6
"Hours 1-2,", undated
Box 117 Folder F.1
"Hour 3,", undated
Box 117 Folder F.2
"To Defend a Killer," circa, 1989
Box 117 Folder F.3
Business Ethics, 1989
Box 117 Folder F.4
"The Human Family: Ethics in Personal Relationships,", 1987
Box 117 Folder F.5
"Autonomy vs. Paternalism: The Pregnant Cancer Patient and the Unborn Child," circa, 1989
Box 117 Folder F.6
"Truth and Justice: The Adversary System in Civil Litigation,", undated
Box 118 Folder F.1
"The Victim and the Accused," circa, 1989
Box 118 Folder F.2
"Tradeoffs in the Laboratory: The Ethics of Medical Research," circa, 1989
Box 118 Folder F.3
"Hour 1," circa, 1989
Box 118 Folder 4
"Hour 3," circa, 1989
Box 118 Folder F.5-6
Case Studies 1-2, circa, 1989, (2 Folders)
Box 118 Folder F.7
"An Introduction to Ethical Reasoning"--Audio Programs, circa, 1989
Box 119 Folder F.1
Ethics Forum
, 1991
Box 119
Case Study 1, 1983 April 11
Box 119 Folder F.3-4
"Terrorism,", 1982 November 6, (2 Folders)
Box 119 Folder F.5
"Privacy,", undated
Box 119 Folder F.6
Panel #3, 1982 November 17
Box 119 Folder F.7
Eyeball to Eyeball--Transcript, 1990
Box 120 Folder F.1
The Federalist Papers --Proposal, 1996
Box 120 Folder F.2
Hard Choices for Law Enforcement --Planning Materials, 1995
Hard Drugs, Hard Choices
Box 120 Folder F.3-5
Research Notes and Articles, 1990, (3 Folders)
Box 120 Folder F.6
Planning Material, 1990
Box 120 Folder F.7
Promotional Packet and Reviews, 1990
Box 121 Folder F.1
Home: A Place in the World--Correspondence, 1990
Box 121 Folder F.2
"The Emergency, Censorship and the Press in India: A Retrospective"--Transcript of Speech, 1978 November 4
Box 121 Folder F.3-5
Case Studies I-III, 1978, (4 Folders)
Box 121 Folder F.6
Untitled Case Studies, 1978
Folder F.7
If Women are Doing so Well, Where are They on Your Masthead?-- Research Notes, 1988
Box 122
In the Face of Terrorism
Box 122 Folder F.1
Conference Outline, 1986
Box 122 Folder F.2
Conference Packet, 1986
Box 122 Folder F.3-4
Panel I, Part I: "Ranean: Rescue and Response,"--Transcript, 1986 September 27, (2 Folders)
Box 122 Folder F.5
Panel III: "Violence in Northern Shamrock: Terrorism or Civil War?", 1986 September 27
Box 122 Folder F.6
Panel IV: "Terrorism at Home: Challenges for a Free and Open Society,", 1986 September 27
Box 123 Folder F.1
Issues of Professionalism: The Limits on Zealous Advocacy and Beyond --Planning Materials and Program, 1986
Box 123 Folder F.2
Judges, Ethics, and Hard Choices--Notes and Hypotheticals, 1993
Box 123 Folder F.3
Annual Judicial Conference--Program and Hypotheticals, 1980
Box 123 Folder F.4
Law, Crime, Education, and the Press --Planning Materials and Notes, 1988
Box 123 Folder F.5
Law, Order, and the Constitution --Transcript, 1987
Box 123 Folder F.6
Law and Society --Transcript, 1987
Box 123 Folder F.7
Libel Seminar --Transcript, undated
Folder F.8
Making of War --Transcript, undated
Box 124
Managing Our Miracles
Box 124 Folder F.1
Research Notes and Hypotheticals, 1986
Box 124 Folder F.2
Promotional Materials and Reviews, 1986
Box 124 Folder F.3
Production Binder, 1986
Transcripts
Box 124 Folder F.4
Case I: "AIDS: Public Epidemic, Private Tragedy, 1986 April 19
Box 124 Folder F.5-6
Case III: "Organ Transplants and the Artificial Heart,", 1986 April 20, (2 Folders)
Box 124 Folder F.8
Arizona--Hypotheticals, 1980 November 18
Box 125
Media and Business Seminars
Box 125 Folder F.1
Chicago--Packet, 1979
Box 125 Folder F.2-4
Chicago--Transcripts, 1979, (3 Folders)
Box 125 Folder F.5-7
Columbia University--Transcripts, 1981, (3 Folders)
Box 125 Folder F.8
Kansas City--Transcripts, 1981 September 18-19
Box 126
Media and Business Seminars
Box 126 Folder F.1
Michigan--Transcripts, 1980 November 10-11
Box 126 Folder F.2
Minnesota--Hypotheticals and Program, 1980 June 17-18
Box 126 Folder F.3-5
Princeton--Hypotheticals and Transcripts, 1977 October 7-9, 1977 October, (3 Folders)
Box 126 Folder F.6-8
Seattle--Hypotheticals and Transcripts, 1982 June 18-19, (3 Folders)
Box 127
Media and Business Seminars
Box 127 Folder F.1-3
Snowbird Conference--Transcripts, 1982, (3 Folders)
Box 127 Folder F.4
Western Conference--Hypotheticals and Program, 1980 February 8-10
Box 127 Folder F.5-7
Western Conference--Transcripts, 1980 February 8-10, (3 Folders)
Box 128
Media and Business Seminars
Box 128 Folder F.1
Western Conference--Transcripts, 1980 February 8-10
Box 128 Folder F.2-5
Conference on Media, Business, and Law --Transcripts, 1978 May 13-14, (4 Folders)
Box 128 Folder F.6
The Media and the Family --Program, 1978
Box 128 Folder F.7-8
The Media and Government --Transcripts, 1980 March 29-30, (2 Folders)
Box 129 Folder F.1
Conference on the Media and City Government-- Transcript, 1980 November 21-23
Box 129
New Delhi--, 1978 August 24-27
Box 129 Folder F.3
Sri Lanka--, 1980 February 22-24
Box 129
Session Planning Notes, 1977-1986
Box 129 Folder F.5
Conference Programs, 1977-1980
Box 129 Folder F.6-7
Akron--Transcripts, 1978 October 28, (2 Folders)
Box 130
Akron--Transcripts, 1978 October 28
Box 130 Folder F.2-5
Anglo-American Conference on the News and the Law, Kent--Transcripts, 1977 June 25, (4 Folders)
Box 130 Folder F.6
ASNE--Hypotheticals, 1977
Box 130 Folder F.7
Federal Communications Bar, 1978 September 15-16
Box 131
Media and the Law
Box 131 Folder F.1
Federal Communications Bar--Transcript, 1978 September 15-16
Box 131 Folder F.2
Jacksonville--Session Planning Notes, 1987
Box 131 Folder F.3
Judicial Conference of the 8th Circuit--Hypotheticals and Program, 1980 July 6-9, 1980 July
Box 131 Folder F.4
Metropolitan Conference--Hypotheticals and Program, 1980 May 3
Box 131 Folder F.5
National Association of Women Judges--Transcript, 1982 October 10
Box 131 Folder F.6-9
National Conference--Transcripts, 1977 November 5-6, 1977 November, (4 Folders)
Box 132
Media and the Law
Box 132 Folder F.1
New England--Report, 1974 June 7-9, 1974 June
Box 132 Folder F.2-3
New York State Judicial Seminar--Transcripts, 1982 August 6, (2 Folders)
Box 132 Folder F.4
New York Times--Program, 1977 March 26
Box 132 Folder F.5-8
Northern California--Program and Transcripts, 1978 December 8, (4 Folders)
Box 133
Media and the Law
Box 133 Folder 1-2
Philadelphia--Transcripts, 1978 January 13-15, (2 Folders)
Box 133 Folder F.3-5
Rochester--Transcripts, 1978 August 5, (3 Folders)
Box 133 Folder F.6
Seattle--Transcript, 1983 April 30
Box 134
Media and the Law
Box 134 Folder F.1-2
Seattle--Transcripts, 1983 April 30, (2 Folders)
Box 134 Folder F.3
Southern California--Hypotheticals and Program, 1977 February 11-13
Box 134 Folder F.4-5
Tennessee--Transcripts, 1978, (2 Folders)
Box 134 Folder F.6
Texas--Program, 1979
Box 134 Folder F.7-8
Tri-State Regional--Transcripts, 1978 October 14, (2 Folders)
Box 135
Tri-State Regional--Transcripts, 1978 October 14
Box 135 Folder F.2
Washington--Hypotheticals and Program, 1977 August 26-28
Box 135 Folder F.3-4
West Virginia--Transcripts, 1976 December 3-5, 1976 December, (2 Folders)
Box 136 Folder F.1-2
The Media, the Law, and the Constitution --Research Notes and Articles, 1988, (2 Folders)
Box 136 Folder F.3-4
Conference on Media and Libel--Program and Transcripts, 1983 May 20-21, (2 Folders)
Box 136 Folder F.5-7
Midwest Conference on Libel, Media, and Business --Transcripts, 1983, (3 Folders)
Box 137 Folder F.1-2
Media Practices and Investigative Reporting --Transcripts, 1981 October 10-11
Folder F.3
Media, Terrorism, and Public Order --Hypotheticals and Program, 1980 May 16-18
Box 139 Folder F.2
Media, Minorities, and Society --Transcripts, 1981 November 20-21
Box 139 Folder F.3
Media Practices and Investigative Reporting, 1981
Box 139 Folder F.4
Medical Ethics Seminar--Transcript, undated
Box 139 Folder F.5-7
Medical Malpractice Seminar--Transcripts, undated, (2 Folders)
Folder F.8
Medicine and Society
Box 141
Medicine and Society
Box 141 Folder F.1-3
Transcripts, 1984, (3 Folders)
Box 141 Folder F.4
Moral Dilemmas of the Presidency --Proposal, 1982
Box 141 Folder F.5
National Institute of Justice --Seminar Packet, 1994
Box 141 Folder F.6-7
National Seminar on the Bill of Rights-- Transcripts, 1982 April 3, (2 Folders)
Box 142 Folder F.1
National Seminar on the Bill of Rights --Transcripts, 1982 April 3
Box 142 Folder F.3-4
National Seminar on State Courts and Public Policy --Transcripts, 1979, (2 Folders)
Box 143 Folder F.1
National Seminar on State Courts and Public Policy --Transcripts, 1979
Box 143 Folder F.2
New York State Foundation Conference on Crime and Punishment --Planning Materials, 1985
Folder F.3
Nuclear Winter--Proposal, 1984
Box 143
Promotional Materials, 1990
Box 143 Folder F.5-6
"Athletics and Academics: An Uneasy Alliance"--Research Notes and Transcript, 1989, (2 Folders)
Box 143 Folder F.7
Brawley Case--Planning Materials, 1988
Box 143 Folder F.8-9
"Entertainment News or Entertainment?"--Research Notes and Transcript, 1988, (2 Folders)
Box 144
The Other Side of the News
Box 144 Folder F.1
"Television and Terrorism: Who Calls the Shots?"--Planning Materials, 1990
Box 144 Folder F.2
"Safe Speech, Free Speech, and the Constitution"--Planning Materials, 1991
Box 144 Folder F.3-4
"Safe Speech, Free Speech, and the Constitution"--Transcript, 1991, (2 Folders)
Box 144 Folder F.5
Popular Culture: Rage, Rights, and Responsibility --Research Notes and Articles, 1992
Box 144 Folder F.6-7
Preserving the Independence and Integrity of the Judiciary --Transcripts, 1985, (2 Folders)
Folder F.8
The President and Congress --Planning Materials and Notes, circa, 1986
Box 145
The Presidency and the Constitution
Box 145 Folder F.1
Planning Materials, 1987
Box 145 Folder F.2
Promotional Packet, 1987
Box 145 Folder F.3
Draft of Program Introduction, undated
Box 145 Folder F.4
Case I: "The President and Arms Control"--Transcript, undated
Box 145 Folder F.5-7
Case II: "The President and the Judiciary"--Transcript, 1987 January 9, (3 Folders)
Box 146
The Presidency and the Constitution
Box 146 Folder F.1
Case III: "Proposed Changes in the Constitution,", 1987
Box 146 Folder F.2
Profit and Promises: Reworking the American Dream --Seminar Report and Clippings, 1994
Box 146 Folder F.3
Problems of the Administration of Justice --Research Notes, 1990
Box 146 Folder F.4
Racism
, undated
Box 146 Folder F.5-6
Reading, Writing, and the Law --Transcripts, 1980, (2 Folders)
Box 146 Folder F.7
Religion and the Law --Transcripts, 1983
Box 147 Folder F.1-2
Religion and the Law --Transcripts, 1983, (2 Folders)
Box 147 Folder F.3-4
Right to Die? --Research Notes and Articles, 1989-1990, (2 Folders)
Box 147 Folder F.5
The Role of the Media --Seminar Outline, 1992
Box 147 Folder F.6-9
Schools under Siege: Who Gives a Damn?-- Research Notes and Articles, 1990, (4 Folders)
Box 148 Folder F.1
Schools under Siege --Transcript, 1990 October 29
Box 148 Folder F.2-3
Stakeholders: New Challenges in a Global Marketplace --Notes and Articles, 1990, (2 Folders)
Box 148 Folder F.4
State of Television News --Transcript, 1986 November 25
Box 148 Folder F.5-6
Television and Terrorism --Production Materials, 1990, (2 Folders)
Folder F.7
Terrorism Retreat--Research Notes and Articles, 1986
Box 149
Production Materials, 1991, 2 folders
Box 149 Folder F.3
PBS Contract, 1991
Box 149 Folder F.4
Photographs for Promotional Booklet, 1991
Box 149 Folder F.5-7
Hypotheticals and Research Notes, 1991, (3 Folders)
Box 150 Folder F.1
Theater of Learning--Proposal, 1984
Box 150 Folder F.2-3
Who Shall Be Healed? --Research Notes and Outline, 1992, (2 Folders)
Box 150 Folder F.4
Who Lives, Who Dies? --Research Notes and Articles, circa, 1991
Box 150 Folder F.5
Origins of Media and Society Seminars--Interview with Fred and Ruth Friendly, 1996
Box 150 Folder F.6
Clippings, 1984-1990
Box 150 Folder F.7
Notebooks, undated
Box 150 Folder F.8
Untitled Transcript Drafts, undated
Box 150 Folder F.9
Hypotheticals, undated
Box 151 Folder F.1-8
Annenberg/CPB Project (Production Company for Telecourses)--Reports and Correspondence, 1984-1994, (8 Folders)