Videos by RWU Students Propel Planet Forward on Thursday

PLANET FORWARD: Web to TV to Web

PLANET FORWARD is an innovative, viewer-driven program that debuted first on the Web and then moves to television in a primetime special that airs on Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, April 30 at 8 PM, and then moves back to the Web. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning CNN veteran Frank Sesno, PLANET FORWARD is driven by the power of ideas, as citizens make their case for what they think about the nation's energy future.

The online discussion builds to a new kind of television show, which in turn drives the online conversation. It's Web to TV to Web; an ongoing conversation driven by issues, and made possible by new and creative media technologies.

The PLANET FORWARD Web site revolves around citizen and expert submissions, reflecting a wide range of interests, expertise, and opinion.

The television show features the best online submissions, which will be discussed and debated by a diverse panel of experts, scientists, business leaders and policymakers taped in front of a live audience at The George Washington University. The special features A-list experts, scientists, policymakers, and business leaders, as well as citizen journalists selected from the PLANET FORWARD Web site.


Four of those "best online submissions" originate in Rhode Island

PLANET FORWARD includes four videos created by a small group of undergraduate students at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. Part of a video journalism project with RWU instructor Michael Scully, the eight seniors and one junior planned, researched, wrote, filmed, edited, and submitted a total of 13 videos on a variety of environmental subjects, including bio-diesel, commuter rail, green buildings, and wind power.

Congratulations, Roger Williams University students!


PLANET FORWARD wants new submissions at www.planetforward.org

Frank Sesno challenges the viewing audience to go online and join the discussion - by viewing, rating, and commenting on videos – and submitting their own viewpoint. Rhode Island PBS viewers have the opportunity to join the virtual public square as they make their case for what they think about the nation’s energy future.

The new content is eligible to become part of a PLANET FORWARD Web sequel that will be taped May 19 at The George Washington University and then streamed online. Frank Sesno will be joined by Van Jones, White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to discuss the new content.

Tune in on Thursday at 8 PM.

Roger Williams University Pushes "Planet Forward" (Rhode Island PBS)

PLANET FORWARD is an innovative, viewer-driven program that debuted on the Web and culminates in a primetime special on Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, April 30 at 8 PM. (The show premieres on nationally around Earth Day, two weeks earlier.)

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning CNN veteran Frank Sesno, the broadcast is driven by people’s ideas about the nation’s energy future. The most provocative and interesting submissions to the Web site will be featured in the broadcast, taped before an audience at George Washington University and featuring experts, scientists, policy makers and business leaders, as well as the selected citizen journalists.

Featured experts include:
•Carol Browner, assistant to President Obama for Energy and Climate Change
•James Connaughton, chairman, Bush White House Council on Environmental Quality; currently executive vice president, Constellation Energy
•Shai Agassi, founder and CEO, Better Place
•L. Hunter Lovins, president and founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions

Of huge local interest is the participation in this project by nine Roger Williams University journalism students. The eight seniors and one junior spent three intense weeks in January producing and editing their videos for submission. Their work so impressed the PLANET FORWARD folks, the students have been invited to the taping of PLANET FORWARD taping in Washington, DC.

Here are links to a variety of sources for more information, including:

An informative article by Gina Macri published in The Providence Journal

RWU students promote their videos:

Planet Forward (RWU) also has a group page on Facebook: www.facebook.com