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Ruth J. Morrison

Ruth J. Morrison

Founder of What’s The 411 Networks a Contender for McCormick Foundation’s New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program

Initiative Spotlights Innovative Women-Led News Startups
Ruth J. Morrison, Founder, What's The 411 Networks, a digital media company(http://www.whatsthe411.com), is counting herself among 400 women vying for entry into the Robert McCormick Foundation's New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program. Ruth Morrison is among a new class of women digital media entrepreneurs seeking to join the ranks of Arianna Huffington, Candice Carpenter, and Nancy Evans.

The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs (NMWE) initiative is part of a unique effort to address issues of opportunity and innovation, recruitment and retention for women in journalism. To date, 14 projects have been funded since the program started in 2008. See them at www.newmediawomen.org.

NMWE grant funding is available for news websites, mobile news services, apps or other ideas that offer interactive opportunities to provide news and information locally, nationally or among a community of interest. These can be solo ideas or team projects spearheaded by women.

"I am delighted to be a contender for the Robert McCormick Foundation's New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program," said Ruth J. Morrison. "It is a competitive opportunity, as J-Lab, the administrator for the program, will only select four women. The application process was a powerful exercise."

"The re-launch of whatsthe411.com is a very exciting time," Ruth J. Morrison added. "We were video streaming pioneers experimenting with online video in the 1990s when most people didn't have 56k modems let alone broadband connections. Today, we are coming full circle, as market forces are ripe for a new era of digital entertainment and lifestyle products."

"We have a celebrity-infused catalog of original video content including throwback interviews with stars such as Beyonce, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington, Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Nicole Carson, Boyz II Men, Andre Harrell, Dick Wolf, and many others. We also have interview footage featuring the late Don Corneliusthat was gathered backstage at the Soul Train Awards," she continued.

More recent original video packages include: pop singer Gloria Estefan discussing her latest album produced by Pharrell Williams; NBA legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier; New York Yankees second baseman and home run derby king, Robinson Cano; and Harlem Week festivities featuring New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former mayor David Dinkins, former Governor David Paterson, and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

About Ruth J. Morrison
Ruth J. Morrison is the Founder of What's The 411 Networks, a digital media/news, marketing, and entertainment company redefining entertainment news and lifestyle. Ms. Morrison is not one to color inside the lines. She is a person of firsts. Ms. Morrison is the first African American leased time producer to distribute a weekly television show on WNYC-TV. She is the first African-American woman beat reporter to cover the NY Knicks and she became a video streaming pioneer in the mid-1990s. She was the first Executive Director of the Brooklyn International Trade Development Center, the first small business development center in New York City whose sole responsibility was to help small businesses export their products and services. Ms. Morrison also developed and launched from conception the City of New York's multi-channel cable television network.
Ms. Morrison was a Communications Fellow at the Annenberg Washington Program of Northwestern University; a Communications Director for a member of the U.S. Congress, and she earned a master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

ABOUT J-Lab
The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs initiative is a project of J-Lab, a center of American University's School of Communication. J-Lab is a journalism catalyst that funds new approaches to journalism, rewards innovations, researches what works and shares practical insights with news creators and news gatherers.

ABOUT the Robert R. McCormick Foundation
The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is committed to fostering communities of educated, informed and engaged citizens. Through philanthropic programs, Cantigny Park and museums, the Foundation helps develop citizen leaders and works to make life better in our communities. The Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation is one of the nation's largest foundations, with more than $1 billion in assets. For more information, please visit www.McCormickFoundation.org.

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What's The 411 TV Releases Its List of 25 Most Interesting People of 2012

What's The 411TV's List of 25 Most Interesting People of 2012 was developed from interviews conducted by What's The 411TV correspondents during 2012

BROOKLYN, NY; December 20, 2012 - What's The 411, an entertainment and lifestyle television show, released today its list of 25 Most Interesting People of 2012.

What's The 411's 25 Most Interesting People of 2012 was developed from interviews conducted by What's The 411 reporters from January 1, 2012 through November 30, 2012. The list consists of celebrated personalities to ordinary people doing extraordinary things to the American people rallying for justice in the case of Trayvon Martin. Many people are local to the New York City metro area, while others are global figures.

"Throughout the years, What's The 411 has interviewed so many interesting people," said Ruth J. Morrison, CEO and Founder, Whats The 411 Networks. "This year, we decided to create our list of 25 Most Interesting People. It wasn't easy, but the reporters and producers narrowed What's The 411's Most Interesting People of 2012 to a list of 25. Some are known to almost everyone and some will be names heard for the first time."

"After developing and releasing our list of 25 Most interesting People of 2012, we learned that the Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Avery Johnson. Coach Johnson's firing was shocking and What's The 411 still stands by its decision to include Coach Johnson on its list. In our interview, we saw excitement, conviction, a warrior's attitude, and a commitment to bringing a competitive basketball team to Brooklyn," Ms. Morrison added.

The people making up What's The 411's 25 Most Interesting People of 2012 fall into the categories of entrepreneurs; kids doing great things; sports; fashion and beauty; health; non-profits; media and public relations; and even a former mob wife. The list also includes the winners of What's The 411's Jay Z Concert Ticket Giveaway, a couple so engaging they should have their own reality TV show.

Below is a list of What's The 411's 25 Most Interesting People of 2012 with hotlinks to their respective video interviews:

1. Marlena Ortiz - a 28-year-old breast cancer survivor who created the non-profit Beating Cancer in Heels to help women keep their self-esteem while undergoing cancer treatment
2. Trayvon Martin Vigil in Union Square, New York City - representing Americans standing up against racism
3. Hal Jackson (Posthumously) - legendary radio pioneer who broke many color barriers in radio broadcasting. Hal Jackson died on May 23, 2012 at age 96.
4. Danny Jacobs - a boxer who survived cancer and is now back in the boxing ring with two wins in two months
5. Magic Johnson - because he's Magic
6. David Stern - NBA Commissioner who bucked the prevailing sentiment at the time and developed a salary system which created many young black millionaires, a rising tide floats all boats
7. Sue Simmons - An iconic newswoman; anchor of WNBC-TV News for 32 years
8. Avery Johnson - the goody two-shoes head coach of the Brooklyn Nets; who knew he had so much fight
9. Billie Jean King - an iconic tennis champion and advocate for gender equality
10. Helen Shelton - an African-American woman who rose to executive ranks within a global public relations agency by providing value to her clients
11. Allan Houston - Assistant General Manager, New York Knicks and a former NBA player now leading the way advocating and demonstrating the importance of fathers through hisFather Knows Best initiative
12. Beauty/Fashion Trifecta: Vera Moore, Sofia Davis and Thomas Lavone: - Vera Moore is a beauty entrepreneur of 34 years in the competitive cosmetic business and now making a huge breakthrough with national distribution through Walgreen's; Sofia Davis, Editor, Fashion Avenue News Magazine; and Thomas Lavonne, an award winning New Jersey based fashion designer and entrepreneur with a celebrity following; known for his exceptional talent in Ready To Wear gowns, suits and fine apparel
13. Leslie Allen - a retired professional tennis player and keeper of the legacy of tennis champion Arthur Ashe through the Arthur Ashe Foundation
14. Alia Jones-Harvey - a Broadway theatre producer putting a new spin on classic Broadway theatre productions, thus creating diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity on Broadway
15. Dr. Devra Davis - an environmental health scientist ringing the cell phone environmental alarm bell16. Cheryl Wills - author and 20 years of making a difference in TV news in New York City
17. Constance CR White - a multi-dimensional fashionista running a magazine for Black women (no disrespect to Susan Taylor)
18. Dionne Williams - a fashion entrepreneur providing a professional platform for emerging fashion designers during New York Fashion Week
19. Alfred Edmond Jr. and Windsor Neckwear - creators of the Alfred Edmond Jr. Bow Tie Collection and other men's accessories; helping men everywhere to stand out while fitting in
20. Terrie Williams - CEO and Founder, The Terrie Williams Agency; author; mental health advocate; and mentor; for her honesty about depression and for mentoring young men
21. Leslie Chang, Scholarship Winner of Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health's Health Science Academy and Winners of Arthur Ashe Kids Day Essay and Art Contest - these kids are definitely going places
22. Pamela Quinzi - a fabulously sensational shoe designer with savvy marketing skills
23. Saffiyah Rodgers and Valerie Morrison - owners of My Girlfriend's Closet - making a business out of a childhood passion
24. Kim Benson and Qadir Muhammad - winners of What's The 411's Jay-Z Concert Ticket Contest - a comedic, smart and sassy couple; they should have their own reality TV show
25. Toni Marie Ricci - survived being married to the mob and now an author and mentor to other women

About What's The 411TV

Based in Brooklyn, New York, What's The 411TV is a division of What's The 411 Networks, a media/news and information company connecting sophisticated multi-cultural audiences through its distribution platforms of television, online, mobile, and social media.

What's The 411TV's celebrity portfolio consists of interviews with Magic Johnson, Beyonce, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson and many, many more.

What's The 411 Networks has the largest video celebrity interview portfolio of any Brooklyn-based independent media company.

What’s The 411 Networks CEO Selected for Charter School Advisory Board

Ruth J. Morrison, CEO and Founder, What's The 411 Networks was selected to be a member of the Advisory Board for the proposed Harlem-based Onyx Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School.

The performing arts themed school will consist of a middle school and high school. If approved by the New York State Department of Education, Onyx Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School will be led by Executive Director Evelyn Collins. The charter school, at its full complement, will have 525 students and two principals that will serve as instructional leaders to the teachers.

"I am honored to be selected to serve as a member of the Advisory Board for Onyx Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School," stated Ruth J. Morrison. "I consider this as an opportunity to provide my professional expertise in board governance, international business, emerging technologies, and politics and government for the benefit of developing and implementing an exceptional educational environment for children."

"It will be a pleasure to serve with Executive Director Collins. She leads the educational field with integrating performing arts and academics for impressive educational outcomes. Ms. Collins brings a keen understanding of how to motivate students to excel academically and how to facilitate their journey as lifelong learners. I look forward to working with Ms. Collins with a common goal of advancing the standards of academic excellence through the performing arts," Ms. Morrison continued.

Onyx Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School will have a sound standards-based curriculum, it will use assessments to direct instruction and it will be a leader in the educational community of best practices.

It is anticipated that Onyx Academy for the Performing Arts Charter School will open in September 2013 in Community School District 5 in Harlem, New York.
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What’s The 411 Networks Reboots Video Rich Website

Video Streaming Pioneer Targets Multi-Cultural Market
What's The 411 Networks, a Silicon Alley online media, entertainment and marketing company, today reboots its video-rich, multi-channel website. Targeting a sophisticated multi-cultural audience, the entertainment and lifestyle website seeks to bring diversity to the online video space.

"The re-launch of http://www.whatsthe411.com is a very exciting time," said Ruth J. Morrison, Founder, What's The 411? Networks. "As independent television producers, we were video streaming pioneers experimenting with online video when most people didn't have 56k modems let alone broadband connections. Today, we are coming full circle, as market forces are ripe for a new era of entertainment and lifestyle products."

WhatsThe411.com boasts a celebrity-infused catalog of original video content including throwback interviews with stars such as Beyonce, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington, Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Nicole Carson, Courtney B. Vance, Ernie Hudson, Andre Harrell, Dick Wolf, and many others.

More recent original video packages include: pop singer Gloria Estefan discussing her new album produced by Pharrell Williams; NBA legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier; New York Yankees second baseman and home run derby king, Robinson Cano; and Harlem Week festivities featuring New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former mayor David Dinkins, former Governor David Paterson, and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

The entertainment and lifestyle website features a streamlined design of nine primary channels:

Film/TV/Stage
Music
On The Town
Book Talk
Sports
Fashion, Beauty, Style
Health
Technology
Industry Insider

Additionally, the website contains Stars On The Horizon, an area that will feature aspiring singers. With the Missing Persons File, visitors are encouraged to give sightings of artists that have left public view. The Missing Persons File kicks off with TOTAL, the first girl group from P. Diddy's BadBoy Entertainment. Ask The Experts seeks to help people with the many facets of their lives: health, fitness, weight loss management, and wellness; relationships; money and finance; education; careers; etc.

"We expect success because we are filling a void. We also have a great vantage point being based in New York City, the media capital of the world. Further, What's The 411 Networks sees a great opportunity to connect with a global audience through social media and live events. Integrating social media marketing strategies will enable us to grow and expand our audience, influence and revenue," Ruth Morrison added.

Sign up today at http://www.whatsthe411.com to receive weekly e-newsletters. Follow @WhatsThe411TV on Twitter and visit our Facebook fan page http://www.Facebook.com/WhatIsThe411 to stay current on interviews, events hosted by What's The 411 Networks, and much, much, more.

Ruth Morrison, Founder, What's The 411 Networks is available for interviews.
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