Viewpoint

By RICHARD SCHICKEL

BILL MOYERS' JOURNAL, on PBS.

Wednesday, 8-8:30 p.m. E.D.T. People refer to Bill Moyers less often these days as "President Johnson's former press secretary." And for good reason. With his weekly Journal, now in its third year, he has established a more immediate identity: television's best regularly scheduled observer of the American scene. The Journal takes in a wide range of opinions of writers, scholars and ordinary concerned citizens as well as political pros. Mostly, however, it is distinguished by the host's earnest, well-prepared, civilized but dogged pursuit of matters that are not only of wide general interest but that he seems to care more deeply about than does the typical TV talking head.

Moyers basically does three types of shows. First, he investigates worthwhile attempts by citizens' groups to brighten the corners where they live. In November he looked at the Oregon movement to discourage economic and population growth in order to protect the state's agreeable style of life. Last fall he reported on the efforts of householders in declining Chicago neighborhoods to prevent runaway banks from cutting off mortgages and home-improvement loans and thus accelerating the downward spiral of their communities. Secondly, Moyers keeps a door constantly open to cinema verite film makers willing to shoot something more illuminating than rock concerts. In December he and Producer Wayne Ewing did an emotionally potent study of an encounter group for clergymen who were trying to break through the inhibitions endemic to their profession.

Near Thing. Finally, about half of Moyers' shows are conversations with people who view public life from angles not much reported on television. He has talked things over this season with, among others, Black Poet Maya Angelou, Labor Leader Harry Bridges and Historian Daniel Boorstin. Last week, Moyers interviewed Swedish Economist Gunnar Myrdal, who has been carrying on a love-hate relation ship with the U.S. for more than 30 years.

Moyers does not hide his own bias es while drawing out those of his guests.

He has a firm faith in the adaptive strength of U.S. institutions, deriving from the populism of his Texas up bringing. In his memorable opening show of the season, "An Essay on Watergate," he recalled a high school teach er telling him, "There is no sight more beautiful in the world than a people governing." Moyers went on to trace his growing realization, gained during his Washington years, that in politics "high ideals compete ... all the time with the grubby demons of human nature, usually in the same personality." He concluded, proudly, that though it was a near thing, American ideals and institutions had held against the assaults of the Nixon gang.

The Watergate show crystallized the inchoate feelings of many viewers, partly because Moyers was autobiographically open in a way that pundits sel dom are, partly because he conceives his job modestly, as merely "helping to keep the conversation of America going." He never seems to be laying down the last word on anyone or anything.

This prudence may come from his back ground in print journalism, as publisher of the Long Island newspaper Newsday (1967-70) and author of the 1971 book Listening to America. The most engaging and refreshing thing about him is that, at 39, he regards himself as he does the nation -- as open and unfinished -- and is not yet ready to wrap himself in the cellophane of self-esteem and present himself as a finished media product.

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