News-Tipping Washington Power Breakfasts Go Online
at
The Christian Science Monitor and
FORA.tvNew weekly video series puts Web viewers in the room with Beltway newsmakers and top journalists.
BOSTON, MA, May 17, 2010—
The Christian Science Monitor and
FORA.tv today debut online videos of the weekly
Monitor Breakfast, a 44-year-old tradition where Washington newsmakers meet unscripted and on-the-record with top journalists. This new partnership brings a pivotal resource to the public in a way that only online video can, and gives a wide audience the chance to get ahead of the news.
Same-day highlights of The Monitor Breakfasts, which invite top journalists on short notice to ensure timeliness, are available free at
www.CSMonitor.com/MonitorBreakfast and
www.FORA.tv/MonitorBreakfast. Full-length videos of each Breakfast can be viewed for $14.95 monthly or $99.95 annually. These may be accompanied by advertising sponsorships. Advertising sponsorship opportunities consist of pre-roll video within the videocasts on both Web sites and standard ad units on the video page of the Monitor Web site.
“The Christian Science Monitor is now at the forefront of online video in terms of selling subscriptions, pushing distribution across multiple platforms, and promoting this one-of-a-kind a weekly event,” said Blaise Zerega, CEO of FORA.tv. “The Monitor Breakfast is the type of gathering that online video can bring from the confines of a meeting room to a worldwide audience without losing its intimacy or immediacy.”
For 44 years, Monitor Breakfasts have been the source of defining and dramatic news stories. For instance, in 1991, then-Governor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, came to Breakfast to discuss their marital problems for the first time. It became, in effect, a dry-run for their famous 60 Minutes interview – and helped preserve his viability as a presidential candidate. And in 1995, Speaker Newt Gingrich complained about being made to exit through the rear of Air Force One while on a presidential trip. Some say his Breakfast comments helped trigger the subsequent government shutdown.
In all, four presidents, five vice presidents, and thousands of Beltway power players have been guests at Monitor Breakfasts. At the first event in 1966, Illinois Senator Charles Percy tipped off reporters to his Presidential run. Recent guests have included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Democratic strategist James Carville, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Postmaster General John Potter. Watch a highlight video of recent Breakfasts
here.
“We are committed to explaining the news and foreshadowing what’s next,” said John Yemma, Editor of The Christian Science Monitor. “Online video of Monitor Breakfasts opens access to actual news-making conversations for a wider population of influential people in business, government and media.”
The Monitor Breakfasts going online represents the latest in resurgence for The Christian Science Monitor. After publishing an acclaimed daily newspaper for more than 100 years, the organization dropped daily newsprint in favor of online news and a weekly magazine in April 2009. The company has since added a Daily News Briefing, E-mail newsletters, e-reader editions, and more. Its weekly magazine circulation has grown by more than 75% (to 77,000), while monthly website traffic has more than doubled (to 14 million page views).
About The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com) is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, and other platforms. During more than a century of reporting, it has developed a global reputation for thoughtful, in-depth coverage of the world – and won seven Pulitzer Prizes along the way.
About FORA.tv
FORA.tv is the leading destination and distributor for smart videos about the people, issues, and ideas changing the world. The company gathers the web's largest collection of unmediated video drawn from live events, lectures, and debates at the world's top universities, think tanks and conferences. Named a Top 50 Web Site by TIME, a Top Education Site by U.K Telegraph, the company has also been covered by Fast Company, The Boston Globe, and many others. FORA.tv was founded in 2005 and is funded by a select group of investors led by William R. Hearst III. FORA.tv is based in San Francisco and can be found at
http://fora.tv or on
Facebook and
Twitter.
Contact:
The Christian Science Monitor
Fred Pfaff, 212-572-8353, fred@fredpfaffinc.com
Steve Ellwanger, 203-856-8303, steve@presscounselonline.com
FORA.tv
Anni Hechtner, 415-599-4618, anni@fora.tv
