June 19th, 2012

75 Georgia High School Scholars selected for Leadership Unplugged

Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience will take place June 25-29 at CNN and Georgia Institute of Technology

                 CNN Worldwide and 21st Century Leaders will host a select group of high school juniors and seniors selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across the state. The seventh annual Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience will engage the topGeorgia high school students in a weeklong series of training sessions and discussions focused on media skills.

“Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience is an amazing opportunity for these students to learn about the media industry,” said Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services. “My CNN colleagues and I are excited to offer these remarkable young people a platform to further develop their personal leadership skills, as well as learn more about some of the challenges facing media professionals every day.”

Each workshop will be a hands on experience led by CNN executives and journalists, including the CNN Student News staff. The presentations and workshops will focus on a wide range of topics including diversity, ethics in media and show production. The curriculum for Leadership Unplugged: A CNN Experience was developed by CNN Student News journalists.

“The media literacy skills students learn, combined with their exposure to CNN executives and media professionals, give them a unique opportunity to experience journalism and the business of media at the headquarters of the world’s news leader,” said Donna Krache, executive producer of CNN Student News. “Leadership Unplugged provides students with the skills they need in order to be savvy news consumers.”

In addition to the classes and workshops, the students will work in teams to develop story ideas based on the days topics. The week concludes with the student teams presenting their ideas before a panel of judges comprised of CNN and TBS executives. Panelists include:

  • Nima Ahmed, executive producer for Morning Express with Robin Meade for HLN
  • Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor for CNN Digital
  • Carl Azuz, anchor for  CNN Student News
  • Bill Galvin, senior vice president of business development and sports programming for CNN International
  • Cynthia Hudson, senior vice president and general manager for CNN en Español
  • Parisa Khosravi, senior vice president for CNN Worldwide in charge of international newsgathering
  • Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director for CNN International
  • Jeff Matteson, senior vice president and strategic communications officer for TBS, Inc.
  • Christi Paul, anchor for HLN and In Session on truTV
  • Janelle Rodriguez, CNN’s vice president of programming in Atlanta

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; mobile applications and websites around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Student News, CNN’s cost-and-commercial-free educational program for middle and high schools uses the vast resources of CNN Worldwide to create news and information content specifically for the classroom. CNN Student News airs on HLN Monday – Friday throughout the school year at 4 a.m. (ET). The show is available for on-demand viewing on the Web at www.CNNStudentNews.com and as a video podcast on CNN.com and iTunes.

21st Century Leaders, Inc., is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire the next generation ofGeorgialeaders by empowering high school students with essential business and community leadership skills through programs connecting a diverse group of enthusiastic peers and passionate professionals.