Scripps and The Center for Investigative Reporting to host virtual reality event

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Mar 23, 2017, 12:00 ET

CINCINNATI, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) is hosting a virtual reality pop-up studio in Cincinnati from March 29-April 1 in partnership with The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR). The four-day event will engage local businesses, educational institutions, and the journalism and creative communities with virtual reality technology and 360-degree video to create immersive storytelling experiences.

Over the four days, attendees will experience demos of locally produced virtual reality and 360-degree video and hands-on training to produce, edit and publish virtual reality content. In addition to Scripps and CIR, participants represent local groups including Axiom Consulting, Story-Up, Omnivirt, SubVRsive, EON Sports Reality, Ohio University, University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University and Miami University.

"Virtual reality and 360-degree video offer new and creative new avenues for storytelling," said Amanda Thompson, director for Scripps digital solutions group. "At Scripps, our journalists are embracing these new technologies and exploring the ways we can leverage them to better serve our local audiences. We're looking forward to finding new ways to collaborate with businesses and universities who share our interest in this growing field."

Scripps TV stations have been at the forefront of experimenting with 360-degree video technology, with recent reporting on the wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew; and the making of medical marijuana in Florida.

"Collaboration and creative engagement are the most important resources for critical innovation in journalism," said Joaquin Alvarado, CEO of CIR. "This opportunity for journalists, technologists and artists to come together will help us learn and launch new projects and relationships to help deliver the important stories that our communities need. We're excited to be a part of it."

The pop-up studio is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and is hosted at Brick & Mortar, 1327 Vine St., in Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood. Networking will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. each day.

For more information about the event and to get involved, contact Amanda Thompson at [email protected].

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation's largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including multi-platform satire and humor brand Cracked, podcast industry leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television shows including "The List" and "The Now," runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the longtime steward of the nation's largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, "Give light and the people will find their own way."

About The Center for Investigative Reporting
Founded in 1977, The Center for Investigative Reporting is the nation's first independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization dedicated to public service journalism. CIR empowers the public through groundbreaking investigative storytelling that sparks action, improves lives and protects our democracy. CIR, in partnership with PRX, produces "Reveal," the Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio show and podcast, and is the recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, five national Emmy Awards in recent years and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 (for local reporting) and 2013 (for public service).

SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company