February 10, 2000
Talk of the Nation
HOUR
TWO: The Digital Divide
Host: Melinda Penkava
To listen to the program click here and scroll down to HOUR TWO.
GUESTS:
Jim Yost
Vice president of process leadership and chief information officer at Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan
Elisabeth Stock
Executive director of Computers For Youth, a non-profit organization that provides computers and training to disadvantaged children.
New York City
Harris Miller
President of Information Technology Association of America, an association of major computer companies
The Ford Motor Company decided recently to offer computers and internet accounts at a discount to each of its 300,000 employees worldwide, narrowing what they perceived to be a 'digital divide' between the salaried and hourly employees. Why is it worth it to this company to bear this expense? What should the model be for the rest of America—should those who don't have access to the digital world wait for what some see as inevitable access, or should the government step in to bring children and low-income citizens on board the cyber-bandwagon? Join Melinda Penkava and guests to discuss the digital divide.
