NRDC, STORYCORPS, AND BRIDGE THE GULF BEGIN RECORDING INTERVIEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: Natural Resources Defense Council / StoryCorps

CONTACTS:

Natural Resources Defense Council

Jessica Lass

NRDC, STORYCORPS, AND BRIDGE THE GULF BEGIN RECORDING INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENTS IN LOUISIANA, ALABAMA, AND MISSISSIPPI AFFECTED BY

THE GULF COAST OIL SPILL

Opening ceremony and press day begins at 10:30am CT on October 7, 2010 at the

St. Bernard Civic Center

September 29, 2010 – On October 7, 2010 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) together with StoryCorps and Bridge the Gulf—a citizen journalism project in partnership with the Gulf Coast Fund—will begin recording interviews with Gulf Coast residents affected by the April 2010 oil spill. Recordings will take place from October 7, 2010 to October, 23, 2010 in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth—an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio—will stop in New Orleans, LA from October 7, 2010 to October, 23, 2010. NRDC and Bridge the Gulf will also host field recording days in Houma, LA, Buras, LA, Biloxi, MS, Mobile, AL, and Bayou La Batre, AL. Reservations for all locations are currently open and can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting storycorps.org.

The public radio station in New Orleans WWNO will serve as a media partner for these recordings—airing a selection of the local interviews recorded with StoryCorps and creating special programs around this project. With participant permission, all StoryCorps interviews will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

NRDC and Bridge the Gulf will host an opening day press event 10:30am CT on October 7, 2010 to introduce StoryCorps to the community and to allow press to interview StoryCorps staff and the first two sets of participants.

Who: Reverend Tyronne Edwards from St. Bernard Parish, A representative from The Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA-NO), Venice resident Kindra Arenson from Plaquemines Parish, and WWNO, NRDC, StoryCorps, and Bridge the Gulf staff

What: Opening remarks by WWNO, NRDC and StoryCorps staff; tour of MobileBooth, press opportunities with interviewees

Where: St. Bernard Civic Center

8245 W. Judge Perez Dr

Chalmette, LA 70043

When: October 7, 2010

10:30 am First interview

11:45 am Opening remarks

12:15 pm Tours of MobileBooth

12:30 pm Second interview

1:30 pm Third interview

General Press Guidelines

Cameras will be allowed in the MobileBooth before interviews begin. Photographs and video can be shot from outside the window during interviews.
Press can listen to interviews with wireless headphones from outside the booth (when available).
Press can interview participants before and after their StoryCorps interviews.