• Reuters, Monday, March 16, 2009 9:30 AM

In this struggling economy, U.S. network news programs are looking beyond Wall Street and Washington to mainstream America, giving voice to the financial woes of everyday people.

Former "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw, said last week he will motor down a cross-country highway, capturing recession stories along the way. Segments will air on NBC news programs as "Dispatches from the Road," this spring. ABC has embedded producers at a Texas cowboy hat manufacturer struggling to stay afloat and with suburban Washington state parents who lost their jobs.

CNN's Anderson Cooper will also file recession-related dispatches from five U.S. cities as part of a weeklong package of economy-related coverage this week branded "Road to the Rescue: A CNN Survival Guide." NBC morning show "Today" has postponed its foreign travel series "Where in the World Is Matt Lauer" in favor of four anchors traveling to U.S. destinations for a series airing in May.

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