Planet Forward To Be Featured By PBS

MEDIA CONTACTS: Emily Cain
202-994-3087; [email protected]
Samara Sit
202-994-5349; [email protected]

GW'S PLANET FORWARD PROJECT EXPANDS NATIONAL TV REACH TO INCLUDE PBS' NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT

New Partnership Takes Crowd-Sourcing for Energy Use Innovations to a National TV Audience

WASHINGTON - PLANET FORWARD, a multimedia project housed at the George Washington University, is teaming up with PBS' "Nightly Business Report" (NBR), the award-winning business news television program that has aired for more than three decades. The partners will present a series of monthly video productions focusing on innovations that can help tackle energy and climate challenges. The series, which premieres on Oct. 21 with an in-studio appearance with Emmy award-winning host Frank Sesno, will air on NBR and feature ideas submitted to PLANET FORWARD's collaborative, public affairs website, PlanetForward.org.

"PLANET FORWARD's ability to expand the reach of our online community will grow exponentially with the national reach of our new partner 'Nightly Business Report,'" said Frank Sesno, director of GW's School of Media and Public Affairs.  "Since one of our primary goals is to encourage collaboration by exposing our communities' ideas to the widest possible audience, a television partner like NBR will help us connect good ideas to new viewers along with our other online distribution channels."

A virtual public square based at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, PLANET FORWARD invites website visitors and students at GW as well as other partner universities to share their solutions for global energy and climate challenges. Currently, PLANET FORWARD is addressing the question: "What innovation can improve how we generate or use energy?"

The PLANET FORWARD team connects their ideas to leaders who can put them into action via live events and television specials, including NBR. Ideas that generate the most support over the next several months will be judged in a national public television special produced in conjunction with Maryland Public Television and Nebraska Educational Television to air around Earth Day 2011.

"For more than 30 years, 'Nightly Business Report' has been the trusted authority on news that impacts the way we live," said Mykalai Kontilai, Nightly Business Report's chairman and chief executive. "Our interest in expanding into new platforms to improve the experience for our viewers made teaming with PLANET FORWARD a natural fit. Its unique approach to public affairs allows us to tap into and share the expertise of our audience with the engaged, civic-minded participants on the PLANET FORWARD platform."

PLANET FORWARD was selected to host a plenary session at The White House Council on Environmental Quality's GreenGov symposium hosted by the George Washington University in Washington D.C. on Oct. 6. Session members will include Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah; Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims; Small Business Administration Associate Administrator Sean Greene; and Laura Ipsen, of the CISCO Smart Grid Unit. Frank Sesno will moderate the discussion. PLANET FORWARD will livestream the panel discussion at: on their website.

PLANET FORWARD is an online social network where creative and innovative ideas addressing global challenges are featured, discussed and evaluated. PLANET FORWARD is a project of the Center for Innovative Media at the George Washington University.

The School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) is dedicated to the rigorous study of journalism and political communication with a focus on understanding the impact media have on how societies inform and govern, connect and communicate. As media undergo transformational change, SMPA's goal is to advance both theoretical insight and innovative practice. SMPA conducts ground-breaking research, offers inspiring teaching, encourages hands-on work in the field and in our production facilities and engages directly with thought-leaders in Washington, D.C. and around the world.

The George Washington University envisions a future with resource systems that are healthy and thriving for all. In efforts to enhance our campus, our nation's capital and the world at large, GW community is building a greener campus, providing research and intellectual discourse on policies and pathways to sustainable systems, and equipping students with the skills and knowledge to contribute to a sustainable future.

To learn more about GW's PLANET FORWARD social network, visit: http://www.planetforward.org.

To learn more about GW's School of Media and Public Affairs, visit: http://smpa.gwu.edu.

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