Circa launches user-generated content initiative for colleges

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Circa, the fastest growing mobile‐friendly, video‐driven news and entertainment brand for millennial consumers, announced Monday the launch of a new user-generated platform empowering college students to provide video content about news and entertainment events on their campuses.

Circa Campus will allow college fans to upload their video content about news, politics and pop culture events on their campuses via widgets available on the Circa Web site and Facebook page. The content will be reviewed and vetted by Circa editors before being shared with consumers.

"Smartphone cameras tethered to social media have expanded the reach and currency of news coverage worldwide and we are excited that Circa Campus will allow us to provide deeper insights to the stories, issues, movements and personalities at colleges across the globe," said John Solomon, Circa's chief operating officer. "From protests and provocative speeches to live entertainment, sports and feel good charity causes, we believe Circa Campus will provide a real time ticker about compelling events and issues on campus life that sometimes get overlooked by major media."

Circa is partnering with several student groups to recruit and train citizen journalists on campuses on the most responsible and compelling ways to capture video news content. The first is GenFKD, or "Generation Financial Knowledge Development," a higher education reform organization working with 3000+ college students from universities and colleges across the U.S.

"We're excited to continue amplifying student voices from across the country," said GenFKD co-founder and Executive Director, Justin Dent. "This collaboration with Circa will be a tremendous step forward in ensuring diverse voices have a space on campus and online."

The rollout of Circa Campus will occur in phases, starting last week when students on several campuses recorded events related to the inauguration of Donald Trump and fanning out over the next several months to cover other newsworthy events. Later phases will give students a chance to express opinions about millennial policy issues and to engage with compelling leaders in the business, political and entrepreneurial worlds.

Universities/colleges and college students interested in joining the Circa Campus reporting team should contact Circa engagement editor James Cosgrove at jhcosgrove@circanews.com to learn how they can get involved.  

Circa debuted in July 2016 and its video centric content has reached more than 1.3 billion on digital and social platforms, and generated more than 440 million video streams¹.

About Circa
Circa is the fastest growing mobile‐friendly, video‐driven news and entertainment portal designed for the new generation – delivering engaging and shareable content in cutting‐edge formats across multiple platforms to an audience who prefers to customize their experience. Content is authentic and impactful and includes witty storytelling, in‐depth interviews, exclusive stories, laugh out loud humor and short videos plus 360 virtual reality footage. Backed by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest TV operator in the U.S., Circa extends to a TV audience through Sinclair's' 484 channels in 81 markets, reaching 44.3 million homes. To learn more, visit Circa.com and follow Circa on Facebook and Twitter.

About GenFKD
Founded in August 2013, GenFKD (Generation Financial Knowledge Development) is the inaugural project of the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Young America and an educational initiative dedicated to providing 18- to 24-year-old "Millennials" – a group facing record unemployment, massive student debt and a growing experience gap – with the tools and resources they require to help them succeed. GenFKD has student representatives on 28 campuses across the nation. For more information, visit GenFKD.com or connect with GenFKD on Facebook and Twitter.

About Sinclair (Nasdaq: SBGI)
Sinclair is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country. The Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 173 television stations in 81 markets, broadcasting 483 channels and having affiliations with all the major networks. Sinclair is the leading local news provider in the country, as well as a producer of live sports content. Sinclair's content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its web site as a key source of Company information, which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.

Sources: Google Analytics (December 18, 2016 – January 17, 2017); Facebook Insights for Circa, Circa Laughs and Circa Pop Culture (July 2016 – January 17, 2017)

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SOURCE Circa