Reality Television, Catholic Style

Catholic Media Journal reports that Communication Arts students from Franciscan University of Steubenville will be in Washington, D.C. during Pope Benedict's visit to produce a reality-based television mini-series

Their production will be one of the first professionally produced documentaries to tell the true story of how college students are positively influenced by their religion and how they are moved by the first visit of this pontiff to the United States.

Prior to Pope Benedict’s arrival, the Franciscan University film crew will be granted special access to the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., where the pope will conduct a peace dialogue with leaders of other faiths that will be one of the most significant interfaith discussions of his papacy. The crew will be allowed into the chapel where the pope will pray and receive an in-depth briefing about the preparations and protocol for the pope’s visit. ... (More)

Newsweek to offer live 'Popecast" of Benedict's visit

Newsweek is planning a live Webcast of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States:

Dubbed Newsweek's "Popecast" by video producer and contributing editor Tammy Haddad, the magazine will offer live streaming coverage of the Washington, D.C. portion of Benedict's trip, slated for April 15-20. The Webcast will be anchored by Newsweek editor Jon Meacham.

"It's all about the pageantry," says Haddad, a former top producer MSNBC who was retained by Newsweek last fall to map out its video coverage online.

(Hat tip: Huffington Post)

"On-demand" video of the Pope's visit via CatholicTV

Pope in America live and on-demand at CatholicTV web site:

WATERTOWN, MA (MARCH 24, 2008) - The Pope is coming to America on CatholicTV® live and on-demand via www.PopeinAmerica.com. The station now has a dedicated page for the historic pastoral visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. See videos on demand from 2008 and visits past, including Pope John Paul II’s travels to the United States.

Enjoy the trip on CatholicTV and at PopeinAmerica.com as Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States for the first time. Beginning April 15, from the moment Shepherd One touches down at Andrews Air Force, CatholicTV will be following the Pope’s six-day visit. Viewers will see Pope Benedict XVI meeting President George Bush, Masses in Washington and New York, a visit to Ground Zero, his address to the United Nations General Assembly and all the events through April 20.

Papal Visit Media Advisory

Applications for media credentials to cover Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States, April 15-20, are available online at http://www.uspapalvisit.org/mediakit/index.htm; access is at Media Credentials. Application deadline is Feb. 21.

• The pope will arrive in Washington on the afternoon of April 15. His visit to Washington will include, on April 16, a morning meeting with President George Bush at the White House and an evening meeting with the bishops of the United States at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
• Thursday's itinerary includes Mass at the new Nationals Park, the first non-baseball event for the stadium, an address to the heads of all U.S. Catholic colleges and heads of diocesan education departments at The Catholic University of America, and an interreligious prayer service at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.
• On Friday, April 18, the pope will go to New York, to address the United Nations and to attend an evening prayer service with Christian leaders at St. Joseph Church on E. 87th Street in the Yorkville section of Manhattan.
• Saturday's program includes Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral with priests, deacons and religious men and women from throughout the country, and a trip to St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, where the pope will meet with young people with disabilities and then preside over a rally and prayer service with seminarians and other young people.
• Sunday morning, April 20, the pope will visit Ground Zero, before an afternoon Mass at Yankee Stadium. A full itinerary is available at www.uspapalvisit.org.

Most events are open to media, but space at many sites is limited. Pools will be established; not all credentialed media can be present at every site. All credentialed media will have access to live feed of events at media centers in Washington and New York, as well as a password-protected Web site to access all of the papal texts.

Credentialing for coverage of the White House event and the United Nations event must be made through the White House or UN. Credential applications for other events will only be accepted online at http://www.uspapalvisit.org/mediakit/index.htm; click on media credentials.

CONTACT: Sister Mary Ann Walsh of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, +1-202-541-3200

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Jan. 29/
SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops