CNNI's News Stream Looks At Technology's Role In Ending Modern-Day Slavery
CNN International's News Stream this week throws the spotlight on the role of technology in ending modern-day slavery, part of the network's CNN Freedom Project.
CNN Press Release: Did you know that there are at least 10 million men, women and children worldwide being sold and forced to work as slaves? CNN is marshalling its global resources for a year-long initiative that shines a spotlight on the horrors of modern-day slavery, amplify the voices of the victims and help unravel the complicated tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human life.
In a week of special coverage starting April 11th for 'The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery', CNN's technology-powered news program 'News Stream' investigates the role of technology in ending this cruel and inhumane treatment of human beings featuring in-depth reports, interviews and analysis.
Host Kristie Lu Stout breaks down the hard data behind human trafficking to interactively show viewers where the key trafficking routes are around the world and who the big offenders are. She highlights what Hollywood couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are doing to raise awareness of modern-day slavery and follow the impact of their campaign online.
'News Stream' also profiles the courageous groups and individuals on the frontlines doing genuinely admirable work. Kristie hears from David Batstone, a modern-day abolitionist who leads the 'Not For Sale' anti-human trafficking campaign. Batstone discusses how he tracks trafficking and saves victims from this horrific way of living.
The program hears how the internet brings people together to stop sex trafficking. Kristie speaks to Daniel Reetz, a blogger who used an online message board to prevent his two Russian female friends from falling into a trafficking scam. 'News Stream' also speaks to Justin Dillon, a rock musician whose desire to put on a benefit concert for anti-slavery charities grew into a "rockumentary" titled 'Call+Response'.
In addition, 'News Stream' shows viewers how they can help. The program looks at what kind of mobile apps can be used to take action and introduces what "slave free" products are. Kristie engages with global viewers via social media and hears how they are taking a stand against human slavery.
This special series on News Stream airs at 8pm Hong Kong time every night this week.
'News Stream' Explores China's Online Society In Special Series
CNN International's News Stream has been dedicating time this week to exploring the power of the internet in China. The special series continues today, Thursday and Friday.
CNN Press Release: CNN'S 'NEWS STREAM' FEATURES A WEEK OF SPECIAL COVERAGE ON THE POWER OF THE INTERNET IN CHINA
As the show marks its 100th episode, CNN's technology-powered news program News Stream investigates the impact of the Internet on Chinese society in a week of special coverage, featuring in-depth reports, interviews and analysis.
China has more Internet users than the entire population of the United States: A staggering 450 million people. But who are they, what interests them most and what sites do they visit ? Host Kristie Lu Stout looks beyond the numbers to find out how this massive group are spending their time online.
Kristie also looks at Sina Weibo, China's version of twitter. The microblogging service is fast approaching 100 million users despite only launching in 2009. Kristie explains the differences between the two services and looks at how Sina Weibo has become one of the leaders in social media.
The special coverage continues as Beijing-based correspondent Eunice Yoon features two of China's most popular websites - Baidu and Taobao. She follows a 29-year-old engineer who works at Baidu to find out how the search engine has transformed itself into one of the biggest names on the Internet. She also looks at the success story behind Taobao, China's biggest online retailer, which sells an average 48,000 items per minute and has more than 370 million users.
While China has the world's most active Internet users, online censorship is among the most stringent anywhere. News Stream shows how the 'Great Firewall' impacts online life and what people do to get around it.
And there's more on News Stream's website, including an interview with noted blogger and activist Isaac Mao.
This special series on News Stream airs at 8pm Hong Kong time (1200 GMT) this week.
About News Stream
Airs weeknights Monday to Friday at 2000HKT (1200 GMT) Duration: 1 hour News Stream is a one-hour live news program powered by the smart use of technology. Anchored from CNN Hong Kong by Kristie Lu Stout, News Stream uses visualization tools, riveting imagery and social media to enhance our view of today's most pressing issues.
Inside Cable News managed to get a little bit of information on the (so far) mysterious CNN Freedom Project from a CNN spokesperson today. You can read that here.
Meanwhile, CNN International anchor Kristie Lu Stout tweeted this on Thursday:
Researching a series on human trafficking. Profiles, photos, maps, apps... Pls send any tips my way. Thank you. #nscnn
After I asked whether it was for The CNN Freedom Project, Kristie confirmed via a tweet:
Yup -- it's for the CNN Freedom Project. No details yet. Will let you know when I can. #nscnn
News Stream with Kristie Lu Stout premieres Monday on CNN International and today we got a sneak preview of what to expect - courtesy of Back|Story.
Regular viewers of CNN International will note the outer wall of the Hong Kong control room has been decorated with the map motif that also features in the network's studios. We also learn from the preview that Hong Kong is also in line to get a bigger touchscreen.
Also today, Kristie Lu Stout posted the following introduction to News Stream on her facebook page.
A year ago, my producer and I threw out a question. “If Steve Jobs produced a news show, what would it look like?”
Bizarre? Yes. Highly unlikely? Of course.
But that simple question got me and my producer, Ravi Hiranand, fired up about how the smart use of technology can give our viewers a better understanding of the world.
Answering that question eventually led us to News Stream – our new show on CNN International where news and technology meet.
We believe technology is more than gadgets and apps. It’s an approach. When used correctly, it can enhance our view of today’s most pressing issues. Don't worry, we're not making a technology show. News Stream will be a thorough account of all the day's main news stories and we'll still be relying on the reporting of CNN's brilliant roster of correspondents around the globe.
But News Stream will be different.
On News Stream, we'll be using visualization tools to give stories context. For example, with Google Earth we can take a model of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai, and see how it sizes up in other world skylines in New York City or Hong Kong. With this piece of software, you immediately get a better sense of just how massive the structure is.
We also use visualization apps that CNN has developed in-house. Our digital media producer, John Sanders, created a 3-D word cloud application that can visually depict the word content of a text in multiple dimensions. When we placed Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech into the word cloud, we could clearly see the word “war” was used more than “peace”.
Other visualization tools include physical props like airplane models to show us how competing Boeing and Airbus aircraft compare when placed side by side. We’re also not shy about using decidedly low-tech materials like LEGO or even cardboard and a bit of duct tape! As long as a prop serves a purpose and helps tell the story in compelling ways, we'll put it on air.
Using technology as an approach also means keeping our eye on social media to see what stories matter to people around the globe. But we don’t limit ourselves to what’s trending on Twitter and Facebook, we’ll also keep an eye on the leading social sites in China, Indonesia, Brazil and elsewhere.
And finally, we keep tabs on all things geek on News Stream. We test the latest gadgets, showcase innovative uses of technology, and check in with the titans of tech. Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, and Marissa Mayer, the gatekeeper of Google, are just two of the many high-profile newsmakers we’ve already profiled on the show.
So if you’re a news hound, a global nomad, or a tech junkie (or all three like me), I have a hunch you’ll want to tune in.
And if you see an app or piece of hardware that would enhance my presentation or better convey the drama of a story, please send tips my way (twitter.com/klustout). We're out to produce the smartest news show we can, but we can't do it without you.
Catch News Stream, Monday through Friday 9pm Hong Kong time, 1pm London, 9am New York.
And finally, be sure to check out some rehearsal pictures from the official News Stream facebook page.
UPDATE: CNN.com has just published a video from Kristie Lu Stout. It also features a rather cool jib shot of the News Stream set.
- As we reported earlier this month, Atia Abawi has left CNN. Today Atia confirmed to her Twitter followers that she will be joining NBC News.
- Former World Sport anchor and correspondent, Justin Armsden, is back home in Australia and working for the Fox Sports News channel. Justin left CNN in August.
- Arwa Damon is heading to CNN's Beirut bureau, filling the position left vacant by Cal Perry's resignation earlier this month.
- Jim Clancy is currently subbing for Kristie Lu Stout as rehearsals are underway for her new show, launching November 8.
CNN International's News Stream To Launch November 8
CNN International is preparing to launch its new Asian evening schedule with the debut on November 8 of 'News Stream'.
The program, anchored by Kristie Lu Stout from CNN Hong Kong, will aim to showcase a network of digital correspondents around the world who will give viewers a better understanding of the world through the smart use of technology.
News Stream will air weeknights at 2100 HK and 1300 GMT.
CNN Press Release:CNN asks its global audience to define Asia in groundbreaking month of coverage
As part of a month of unique programming from across Asia, CNN's global viewers are invited to point their cameras at themselves and describe the world's most culturally diverse and vibrant continent by simply completing the sentence "Asia is..." in a few short words.
CNN is asking people to answer the question from any perspective, be it personal, cultural, economic, sporting, political - or even gastronomic. Viewers can then upload the video to iReport, CNN's user-generated news community, online at www.cnnireport.com/asiais or directly via the CNN international iPhone app. Selected iReport contributions will be featured in on-air promotions on CNN International, airing in November in more than 260 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The global initiative comes in the run-up to "November is Asia", CNN's special month of Asia-focused programming that delivers ongoing expansion of the network's Asian coverage. Alongside a dynamic new Asian primetime schedule led by a new and game-changing news show hosted by CNN's award-winning anchor Kristie Lu Stout, the network's popular monthly series i-List will be visiting four Asian countries - Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia - for in-depth, week-long investigations into how these countries are influencing and impacting our global world.
International Desk brings viewers into the heart of the largest news gathering operation in the world. Viewers don't come here to "watch" the news; they come here to be immersed in it, to feel the rush of being the first to know what's happening as stories break, and to leave knowing they've gotten the best and latest information available.
We're hearing rumors of who the host of this new show might be... actually, we might just know who it is. ;) But we want to know who YOU think it should be!
This coming week sees the latest in the series of CNN Future Summits. This time, Kristie Lu Stout looks at the possibilities of "virtual worlds", "where reality meets imagination, and computer technology...comes to life". The show features entrepreneurs and leaders in Singapore and Palo Alto, California.
CNN Future Summit premieres on CNN/I this Wednesday at 1400 gmt (in place of Your World Today Hour 1), and is repeated on Saturday 16 June at 0600 gmt, 1400 gmt and 1900 gmt, and on Sunday 17 June at 0600 gmt and 1900 gmt.
CNN International's News Stream this week throws the spotlight on the role of technology in ending modern-day slavery, part of the network's CNN Freedom Project.
