Reality Digital, Inc., a leading provider of white-label social media technology, today announced it has partnered with MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (MLP) the.News project to provide high school and middle school students online access to news content and video remixing tools. the.News is being developed as a weekly ten-minute, noncommercial news program for high school and middle school students and will be delivered via the.News website which includes the YOU.edit online video editing system.
YOU.edit is an online video remix environment that allows students to select video clips from the.News library of original video, record their own voice-overs, and add special effects such as transitions, captions and soundtracks. Once edited, students publish their segments under a Creative Commons license in an online community where classmates and educators can watch, rate and comment on their work. The YOU.edit program includes tools and curriculum support for educators and is being developed in association with the Omaha Nebraska public school system. The YOU.edit online video remixer and online community are powered by the Adobe® Premiere® Express Service, a joint product developed by Adobe and Reality Digital.
“YOU.edit makes news and current affairs content accessible to teens,” noted Simon Marks, president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Through the NewsHour, the online NewsHour Extra website for students and teachers, and the.News, he said that “MLP is committed to merging substantive content with emerging technology to enhance 21st Century learning and teaching.“
“Think of it as next-generation PowerPoint for the 21st Century. Instead of creating slide shows or writing essays, students now tell their story through an edited collection of digital media,” said Cynthia Francis, co-founder and chief executive officer of Reality Digital. “YOU.edit is pushing the envelope of how students use technology as a central tool for their learning by including online video tools and user generated content. We’re thrilled to partner with MacNeil/Lehrer on such a worthwhile cause and proud to see social media put to positive educational use.”
Adobe Premiere Express Service integrates Adobe’s online video editing tool, Premiere Express, with the Reality Digital Opus™ social media platform, and enables organizations, brands and creative agencies to build custom video remix contests and campaigns. In addition to video mashups, the Opus platform powers online video publishing, mobile communities, and social media solutions across multiple platforms and social networks.
For those interested in learning more about the.News and YOU.edit project, visit: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/thenews/index.php.
About MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (MLP) produces PBS Newshour as well as other programs for public, commercial and cable television. MLP also produces coverage of national political conventions, national elections, the State of the Union address and other major events for PBS. Recent television programs produced by MLP include: Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust in Arab Lands; the Miller Center National Discussion and Debate Series, a series of moderated debates on issues of national importance sponsored by the University of Virginia; Debating our Destiny, a critically acclaimed two part series during which Jim Lehrer interviews former presidential and vice-presidential candidates about their debate triumphs and failures; Generation Next, Judy Woodruff’s travels across the country to explore the unique perspectives of Americans ages 16 – 25; the award-winning Do You Speak American?, Robert MacNeil’s cross country trek to discover why American’s speak the way we do; The First Lady: Public Expectations, Private Lives, a look at the expectations of the role of the modern first lady; as well as Betty Ford: The Real Deal and LadyBird, documentary profiles of former First Ladies Betty Ford and LadyBird Johnson. A biography of Nancy Reagan (The Role of A Lifetime) is now in production. MLP is also the leading force behind the By the People: America in the World civic engagement project.
About Reality Digital
Reality Digital, Inc. is a provider of enterprise-scale, white-label digital media solutions. The company’s comprehensive family of products and strategic services enable global brands and agencies to socialize digital content and deliver more relevant and engaging community experiences to their customers. Reality Digital provides the building blocks needed for companies to manage, publish, distribute and monetize rich media on the web. Since 2003, the company has leveraged its core expertise in digital video to help leading global brands in media, entertainment, sports, travel and retail to drive brand recognition and deeper community involvement through social media.
Reality Digital has offices in San Francisco and London. For more information regarding Reality Digital’s social media platform, please visit www.realitydigital.com.
Reality Digital Opus is a trademark of Reality Digital. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
