Brokaw views bias in 'Bridging the Divide'

Roughly timed to the half-century anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. civil rights movement, the special tells stories of people actively fighting bias they encountered in their lives. Subjects include a woman who had both legs amputated and became a scholar, track athlete and model and now fights for the rights of the disabled, and a couple whose 11-year-old son committed suicide after being bullied.

AN INTOLERANT ERA In an interview, Brokaw said the "stressed state" of the nation due to economic woes and a lack of confidence in the future are the kinds of thing that breed intolerance.

Add the Internet, with the ability for anyone to say pretty much whatever they want whenever they want, and things can quickly get poisonous, he said.

"Most of the political dialogue these days, and too much of the media dialogue, is 'in your face,' " Brokaw said. "There has always been a rich American tradition of robust debate and taking strong positions. Now it just seems to me that the trend is steadily in the direction of being as divisive as possible, to belittle your opponents, and this is across the political spectrum. That kind of thing we need to get beyond."

A CONTROVERSIAL SPECIAL? Brokaw said that in the current political climate, he expected the special - suggested to him by USA Network chief Bonnie Hammer - will itself become controversial. When he reported a few years ago on the issue of illegal immigration, he said he got some angry responses from people who wanted to keep immigrants away.

"I hope it will generate some conversation within communities, families and business places," he said. "Too much of what we see now is about division and not about unification."

SEE PHOTOSTV shows that made an impact

THE NEWS SPECIAL "Tom Brokaw Presents Bridging the Divide"

WHEN | WHERE Friday night at 7 on USA.