CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights - A Live Interactive Event
By Doug Singer
“CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights” is the second in a series of multi-media immersive events created by CBS Live Experiences to mark significant events in history. They will bring together a group of newsmakers from the worlds of news, entertainment and sports for a live interactive event exploring the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Bob Schieffer, CBS News’ Chief Washington correspondent and host of Face The Nation, will moderate the event to be carried live July 24, 2014 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on Smithsonian Channel and CBSNews.com, and powered by Microsoft’s Bing Pulse.
Entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte; author and historian Taylor Branch; CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown; Brooklyn Nets star Jason Collins; Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg; Congressman John Lewis (D-GA); actress Rosie Perez; attorney Evan Wolfson; and others will join Schieffer at the Ed Sullivan Theater to discuss how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s has had a personal impact on their lives as well as on the culture, society and politics of today and tomorrow. Using their varied backgrounds, panelists will explore the powerful and tumultuous events of the summer of 1964, when three Civil Rights workers went missing, and were later found to have been murdered. Panelists will also share their emotional first-hand experiences of how the Civil Rights movement influences social reform today.
CBS Producer and visionary, David Goodman, is the man responsible for the creation and development of CBS News Live Experiences. In a candid interview, he shared the genesis of this concept and the excitement of what is underway with this new media format.
MR: Can you explain the format of CBS News Live Experiences?
“The idea is to take a topic from 50 years ago—something that was a tipping point in news, culture, or sports and examine it in terms of the impact it has continued to have, not just 5o years later, but also 50 years from now. By exploring those topics 50 years ago, it acts as a springboard for a really interesting conversation. But also to present it in a way that is visually compelling.”
MR: What was the inspiration to deliver this as a live, interactive event?
“I created a series called Live on Letterman and have been involved in the music space for many years. What I wanted to do, to a certain extent was bring a rock ‘n roll sensibility to an infotainment event and to think of it as something that would be really powerful, really emotional, really visual and really interesting—really delighting all of your senses. That was really the inspiration in thinking about this. How would we do it in a way that would be unique to our voice? We are re-thinking what a moderated panel could be, which is often times very traditional, and give it a whole new sensibility.”
“I think the thing about news, is people are passionate about news. Similar to how people are passionate about sports or live music. The thing about news is that there really hasn’t tended to be a live vehicle to embrace people’s passions around being informed—really going narrow and deep around particular issues. “
“We have created an environment that features an eclectic group of people talking about particual issues that are credible and knowledgeable. By working with Microsoft, we have been able to integrate some pretty interesting technology, via Pulse. We are able to allow everyone, whether you are in the audience, online or watching it on the Smithsonian Channel, to interact with what is being discussed and really have your voice heard.”
“The Civil Rights Act changed the world and CBS News was there to report every aspect like no other network. CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights will take people there with a visually exciting, stimulating multi-media presentation that leverages all parts of the CBS Corporation.”
Viewers at home and those at The Ed Sullivan Theater can become part of the event by using Microsoft’s Bing Pulse technology, which will allow anyone with a mobile device, tablet or computer to interact with the program by voting on poll questions while providing panelists real-time feedback as the event unfolds, creating a true second-screen experience for CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights.
“CBS News was there reporting on the momentous events of 1964—and our commitment to coverage of the civil rights movement continues today,” said CBS News President David Rhodes. “Bob Schieffer’s long experience reporting for CBS News gives him the ideal perspective to moderate this important conversation.”
“Microsoft is working to enable a new era of participatory media with breakthrough second-screen experiences like Bing Pulse,” said Josh Gottheimer, GM in Microsoft’s corporate strategy group. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with CBS News to give audiences around the world the opportunity to participate in a conversation celebrating the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed moment in our nation’s history.”
In addition to the live event, viewers will be able to experience the history through a wide array of multi-media content available at CBSNews.com/CivilRights, including testimonials from activists, politicians, and public figures in the arts, sports and business worlds about their efforts in the continuing fight for equal rights and social justice, and about the civil rights figures who have inspired them. There will also be rare footage from CBS News’ coverage of the Civil Rights Movement, including a full broadcast of Walter Cronkite’s prime-time special “The Search in Mississippi”, which was presented in 1964 following the disappearance of three Civil Rights activists.
“CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights” is the second in a series of multi-media immersive events created by CBS Live Experiences to mark significant events in history. They will bring together a group of newsmakers from the worlds of news, entertainment and sports for a live interactive event exploring the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Bob Schieffer, CBS News’ Chief Washington correspondent and host of Face The Nation, will moderate the event to be carried live July 24, 2014 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on Smithsonian Channel and CBSNews.com, and powered by Microsoft’s Bing Pulse.
Entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte; author and historian Taylor Branch; CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown; Brooklyn Nets star Jason Collins; Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg; Congressman John Lewis (D-GA); actress Rosie Perez; attorney Evan Wolfson; and others will join Schieffer at the Ed Sullivan Theater to discuss how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s has had a personal impact on their lives as well as on the culture, society and politics of today and tomorrow. Using their varied backgrounds, panelists will explore the powerful and tumultuous events of the summer of 1964, when three Civil Rights workers went missing, and were later found to have been murdered. Panelists will also share their emotional first-hand experiences of how the Civil Rights movement influences social reform today.
CBS Producer and visionary, David Goodman, is the man responsible for the creation and development of CBS News Live Experiences. In a candid interview, he shared the genesis of this concept and the excitement of what is underway with this new media format.
MR: Can you explain the format of CBS News Live Experiences?
“The idea is to take a topic from 50 years ago—something that was a tipping point in news, culture, or sports and examine it in terms of the impact it has continued to have, not just 5o years later, but also 50 years from now. By exploring those topics 50 years ago, it acts as a springboard for a really interesting conversation. But also to present it in a way that is visually compelling.”
MR: What was the inspiration to deliver this as a live, interactive event?
“I created a series called Live on Letterman and have been involved in the music space for many years. What I wanted to do, to a certain extent was bring a rock ‘n roll sensibility to an infotainment event and to think of it as something that would be really powerful, really emotional, really visual and really interesting—really delighting all of your senses. That was really the inspiration in thinking about this. How would we do it in a way that would be unique to our voice? We are re-thinking what a moderated panel could be, which is often times very traditional, and give it a whole new sensibility.”
“I think the thing about news, is people are passionate about news. Similar to how people are passionate about sports or live music. The thing about news is that there really hasn’t tended to be a live vehicle to embrace people’s passions around being informed—really going narrow and deep around particular issues. “
“We have created an environment that features an eclectic group of people talking about particual issues that are credible and knowledgeable. By working with Microsoft, we have been able to integrate some pretty interesting technology, via Pulse. We are able to allow everyone, whether you are in the audience, online or watching it on the Smithsonian Channel, to interact with what is being discussed and really have your voice heard.”
“The Civil Rights Act changed the world and CBS News was there to report every aspect like no other network. CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights will take people there with a visually exciting, stimulating multi-media presentation that leverages all parts of the CBS Corporation.”
Viewers at home and those at The Ed Sullivan Theater can become part of the event by using Microsoft’s Bing Pulse technology, which will allow anyone with a mobile device, tablet or computer to interact with the program by voting on poll questions while providing panelists real-time feedback as the event unfolds, creating a true second-screen experience for CBS News: 50 Years Later, Civil Rights.
“CBS News was there reporting on the momentous events of 1964—and our commitment to coverage of the civil rights movement continues today,” said CBS News President David Rhodes. “Bob Schieffer’s long experience reporting for CBS News gives him the ideal perspective to moderate this important conversation.”
“Microsoft is working to enable a new era of participatory media with breakthrough second-screen experiences like Bing Pulse,” said Josh Gottheimer, GM in Microsoft’s corporate strategy group. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with CBS News to give audiences around the world the opportunity to participate in a conversation celebrating the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed moment in our nation’s history.”
In addition to the live event, viewers will be able to experience the history through a wide array of multi-media content available at CBSNews.com/CivilRights, including testimonials from activists, politicians, and public figures in the arts, sports and business worlds about their efforts in the continuing fight for equal rights and social justice, and about the civil rights figures who have inspired them. There will also be rare footage from CBS News’ coverage of the Civil Rights Movement, including a full broadcast of Walter Cronkite’s prime-time special “The Search in Mississippi”, which was presented in 1964 following the disappearance of three Civil Rights activists.
