THINK MTV AMPLIFIES VOICES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISTS ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING ASSASSINATION
New York, NY – April 4, 2008 – Today, on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., MTV and The Friendship News Network – the media enterprise run by students under the guidance of experienced journalism professionals – launched the first-ever student news network on Think.MTV.com, MTV’s youth-focused online activist community. The event marks a milestone in the development of the Think community, representing an innovative – and unforeseen – way young people are using the site to be heard nationally. The student journalists of the Friendship Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. today published a collection of multimedia reports on Think.MTV.com, with a special focus on how the life and legacy of Dr. King personally affects them, as well as how the historical Presidential candidacies of Senators Obama and Clinton show that Dr. King’s dream is alive and well. All of the reports can be accessed here: http://think.mtv.com/campaigns/fnn.
“This partnership stands as a great example of the innovative way young people nationwide can use the Think community as a megaphone to get their thoughts, feelings and opinions heard,” said Ian Rowe, VP of Public Affairs and Strategic Partnership, MTV. “We are extremely excited to join together with Friendship Public Charter School and introduce a new forum where high school journalists can share their reporting with the whole country.”
“The students of Friendship News Network and Friendship Public Charter School are thrilled to be a part of such a rousing and inspiring site,” said Marilyn Kaufman, Director of Friendship News Network.
Friendship News Network (FNN) is a media enterprise run by students ages 11-18 in Washington, DC. Guided by Washington DC media professionals and organizations, FNN students produce their stories about issues important to teens across all media — radio, television, print and web. Now in its 4th year, FNN is a free year-round journalism program of Friendship Public Charter School, the largest public charter school in Washington, DC. To see student work and to find out more about FNN or Friendship Public Charter School, visit their websites at friendshipnewsnetwork.com or friendshipschools.org.
Launched in 2007, the Think MTV Community is an online destination where young people and a host of pop culture notables such as Bono, Common, Pete Wentz, and Alicia Keys; Presidential candidates, and organizations like the United Nations, Boys & Girls Club, and City Year to name a few are uniting to bring about positive social change in their communities and beyond.
Think.MTV.com is the engine that drives all of MTV’s pro-social efforts, including the Emmy-winning “Choose or Lose” campaign on the presidential election, award-winning “Break the Addiction” campaign to help reduce over consumption, “It’s Your (Sex) Life” campaign to promote safe sex and fight the spread of HIV / AIDS, the network’s education initiative to help more high school students graduate prepared for college, career and life, as well as MTV Tr3s’ “Voces” campaign, launched specifically to help empower young Latinos to get the most out of their education. Think.MTV.com was founded in partnership with the Case Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Amelior Foundation.
