MTV Launches First Online Community Dedicated to Youth Activism

NEW YORK, September 20:
MTV has launched Think.MTV.com in beta today, a new online community dedicated
to stimulating youth activism.

The online community was
founded with the help of financial support and expertise from the Case
Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ
Amelior Foundation. The founding partners will serve as key advisors and help
bring "Best In Class" non-profit organizations into the Think
Community, which will engage members through on and offline action projects and
educational content.

Those who already are
using or will use the site to stimulate youth activism include the United
Nations, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Malaria No More, Strong American
Schools, the President's Volunteer Service Award, Declare Yourself, City Year,
PlayPumps and Games for Change, as well as celebrities like Bono, Reggie Bush,
Pete Wentz, Shakira, Nick Cannon, Rosario Dawson, John Legend, and more.
Members who use the site to do good will be rewarded with opportunities such as
hanging out with the aforementioned stars, access to exclusive MTV events,
exposure on MTV and other national media outlets, plus grants, scholarships and
more.

The Think community will
be loaded with multimedia content uploaded from members, ThinkMTV and MTV News.
It will feature a diverse mix of videos, blogs, socially-conscious video games,
podcasts, news reports and pictures to hel the uninformed quickly come up to
speed on complex issues and the hyper-literate stay up-to-date on breaking
news. Content posted on the site will have the chance to filter up to MTV's
other online and mobile platforms, and even the linear network itself.

Beginning later this fall,
every video, photo or conversation a user contributes will also earn Action
Badges, which can be redeemed for prizes, national exposure and more. Action
Badges, which can be earned through action taken online or in the real world,
is a new feature launching within the next two months. Think.MTV.com offers
young people simple ways to take action on key social issues, including
registering to vote, petitioning congress, volunteering or starting a
divestment movement. Further, any participant can also start or join an Action
Project, which are scheduled to launch this fall and will be developed by
celebrities, leading social activists or young people. They take aim at
everything from fixing broken street lamps to ending world hunger.

The site will be the
engine that drives all current and future MTV pro-social efforts, including the
Emmy-winning "Choose or Lose" campaign on the presidential election,
award-winning "Break the Addiction" campaign to help reduce over
consumption, "It's Your (Sex) Life" campaign to promote safe sex and
fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, the network's education initiative to help more
high school students graduate prepared for college, career and life, as well as
MTV Tr3s' "Voces" campaign, launched specifically to help empower
young Latinos to get the most out of their education.

The new online community
aims to be the definitive online resource and rally point for young change
makers. The ThinkMTV study "Just Cause" revealed that young people
care deeply about activism, with 80 percent saying that taking action to help
their community and others is important and the right thing to do. Yet, the
study found that only 19 percent describe themselves as "very involved."
Think.MTV.com will help mobilize these young people with new tools of
engagement (mobile phones, online forums, broadband video, digital cameras,
etc.), and will make it much easier to become informed and take action.

"The Think Community
was built to catalyze a sea change in youth activism and make rock stars out of
those young people working to better themselves, their communities and the
world," said Christina Norman, the president of MTV. "We're honored
to partner with forward-thinking foundations, non-profits, celebrities and
America's youth on this powerful new platform for positive social change."