Commitment Watch, like the CW, was the brainchild of columnist and Senior Editor Jonathan Alter, and like its sibling, it relied on a wry sense of humor to make its point. But Commitment Watch also aimed to make a difference. When organizers announced plans in February for the nonpartisan Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future and called on corporate and nonprofit groups to make specific, public commitments to helping at-risk children, Alter suggested keeping tabs, week by week, on the mounting pledges–and challenging others to join the cause. Each week, for 10 weeks leading up to the summit, he, along with Associate Editor C. K. Binswanger, pored over lists of new pledges, choosing organizations to spotlight for their commitment and others to challenge for their absence. By the time Colin Powell hosted the summit in Philadelphia in April, scores of companies and groups–from Coca-Cola to Kmart to an Indianapolis eighth-grade class–had volunteered to help young people.
We’re proud to say that last week the National Assembly, an umbrella group for many of the country’s largest service charities, honored Alter with its annual Award for Excellence in Public Education. ““Jonathan Alter and NEWSWEEK, by originating Commitment Watch, used humor to rivet public attention on the Presidents’ Summit,’’ said National Assembly executive director Gordon Raley. ““They inspired and sometimes goaded corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations to make commitments. While other news organizations followed the summit, NEWSWEEK contributed.''
We aim to keep on contributing. From our 1995 cover story ““Everyday Heroes,’’ which highlighted people and programs that make a difference, to our cover this April on Colin Powell’s call for volunteerism, to last week’s package on Ted Turner’s $1 billion pledge to the U.N. and what it might mean for American philanthropy, NEWSWEEK has taken the lead in reporting on individuals and institutions working for the betterment of the nation. ““We try to reject both cynicism and cheerleading,’’ says Alter. ““NEWSWEEK has long believed that in writing about theseissues, it’s possible to be tough-minded and positive at the same time.’’ In coming months, Alter vows to look in again on the promises made for the Presidents’ Summit. Are they being honored? We’ll see. That’s our commitment.
