MTV Kicks Off New Anti-Violence Initiative
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS: TAKE A STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE WITH TRUE LIFE: MATTHEW'S MURDER
MTV News Reporter Serena Altschul Investigates Matthew Shepard's
Murder and Examines Violence Against Gays and Lesbians Across the Country
Wednesday, November 11 at 10 PM (ET/PT)
Special Hotline and Website Will Be Promoted Throughout The Show to
Connect Viewers with Peer Counselors and Provide Information About Local
Resources
NEW YORK, NY (November 6, 1998) -- MTV will kick off its comprehensive
new anti-violence initiative, "Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand
Against Violence" with a special edition of MTV News "True
Life," a weekly documentary series about the lives and concerns
of young adults. In "True Life: Matthew's Murder" MTV News
reporter Serena Altschul investigates Matthew Shepard's murder and examines
violence against gays and lesbians across the country. "True Life:
Matthew's Murder" will premiere Wednesday, November 11 at 10 PM
(ET/PT).
"True Life: Matthew's Murder" takes the viewer into the heart
of young America's shock and confusion about the death of the 21 year
old college student . In Wyoming, Matthew's friends reflect on the gentle,
irresistible friend they loved and lost. In New York City, many gay rights
activists lash out against the country's homophobia. And in South Carolina,
some young people -- gay and straight -- struggle to reconcile the horror
of Shepard's brutal murder with their suspicion that flagrantly gay people
are "asking for it."
In this half hour MTV News Special, host Serena Altschul talks to young
people around the country asking -- what is the climate of thought in
America that allowed a murder like Shepard's? Pop stars like musician
Michael Stipe and actress/comedian Ellen Degeneres are heralded by the
mass media -- but the people in "True Life: Matthew's Murder" tell
a much more complicated story.
"True Life:
Matthew's Murder" will provide resources and information to
MTV viewers through the promotion of a special hotline
and website. The 800 number for the Trevor
Line: Crisis Intervention for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender
Youth will be promoted throughout the show as will the Youth
Resource website (www.youthresource.com)
which will have peer educators available online directly after the
show's premiere to help young people find support and information
both online and in their local communities.
In October at a White House Summit on School Violence, MTV announced
that it was partnering with the Departments of Justice and Education
on the creation of an anti-violence initiative, "Fight For Your
Rights: Take a Stand Against Violence." This groundbreaking campaign
will involve special programming, Public Service Announcements, grass
roots events, and MTV News special reports all designed to give MTV's
audience a voice in the national debate on violence and to provide them
with tangible tactics to take a stand against violence.
"True Life: Matthew's Murder" is produced by Julie Merson
and Nicole Sampogna. Banks Tarver is Supervising Producer and Lauren
Lazin and Dave Sirulnick are Executive Producers.
MTV Networks,
a unit of Viacom Inc., owns and operates five cable television programming
services -- MTV: Music Television, M2, VH1, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite,
and Nick at Nite's TV Land -- all of which are trademarks of MTV
Networks. Information about MTV and M2 is available on MTV Online,
on America Online (Keyword: MTV) and the World Wide Web (http://www.mtv.com).
###
Note to Editors
and Producers: For more information or to set up an interview
with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact Bill Barker at
(202) 419-3420.
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