PRESS RELEASES
ASSETS
“It seems that thoughtful, measured and in-depth examinations of the things that are tearing us apart are needed now more than ever.” — Katie Couric
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND KATIE COURIC EXPLORE POLARIZING ISSUES IN GROUNDBREAKING SIX-PART DOCUMENTARY SERIES AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC
Mon Mar 26 2018 23:39:00 GMT+0000 (UTC)
Thought Leaders and Influencers at the Forefront of These Changes Include Cornel West, Mitch Landrieu, Viola Davis, Elisabeth Moss, Julianne Moore, Bryan Stevenson, Aasif Mandvi, Roseanne Barr and Steve Aoki
Six-Part Documentary Series Hosted and Executive Produced by Couric Premieres Globally Wednesday, April 11, at 10/9c on National Geographic
(WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 26, 2018) – America is undergoing a period of massive transformation. Historic economic, political, demographic, technological and cultural changes have left some people empowered but others struggling to adjust to an ever-changing landscape. In a world that’s more complicated than ever, everyone has something to say, but nobody, it seems, is really listening. In the six-part documentary series AMERICA INSIDE OUT, Katie Couric invites her audience to stop and take the time to hear directly from the people facing these challenges in the hopes that viewers can form a deeper understanding of the issues that seem to be tearing us apart. She sets out to meet Americans where they live, eat, work and play to ask: Who are we as a nation? Where are we going? And how do we make things better?
Premiering Wednesday, April 11, at 10/9c, each AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC will air on National Geographic globally in 171 countries and in 45 languages.
Inspired by her own journey making National Geographic’s critically acclaimed documentary GENDER REVOLUTION (2017), Couric sets out to listen to the hopes and fears of Americans living in small towns and iconic cities across America: from the rural heartland to the Deep South, through the eastern Rust Belt, to Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Among the people she meets are a small-town Iowa newspaper editor, a big-city mayor, a grieving brother grappling with a hate crime and laid-off workers looking to reinvent themselves in Erie, Pennsylvania. At a time when we are becoming both more diverse and more isolated, Couric invites this cross section of Americans to share their stories in a series of raw and emotional encounters. With surprising candor, they talk about their struggles and dreams so those not familiar with their lives can really get to know them. In many ways, the series revives the lost art of the open-hearted conversation.
Episodes focus on the revolution that’s taking place for women in entertainment and technology, what it’s like to be Muslim in America, the battle over confederate monuments and statues, our growing dependence on technology, white working-class anxiety and the controversy over what some call cultural sensitivity and others describe as political correctness run amok.
“The 24-hour news cycle can be overwhelming, and more often than not, people are getting affirmation, not information, as we cordon ourselves off, physically and virtually, into self-selected echo chambers,” said Couric. “These are challenging, contentious times, and events are so fast-paced it’s sometimes hard to step back and look at the big picture. I’ve spent my career trying to help people understand complicated issues and am more convinced than ever that by talking to each other instead of past each other, we can bridge some divides … or at least begin paving the way.”
The premiere of AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC will come on the heels of the April 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine. The single-topic issue explores the subject of race in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination this April. The “Race Issue” kicks off the magazine’s “Diversity in America” series, which looks at racial, ethnic and religious groups in the United States, including Muslims, Latinos, Asian-Americans and Native Americans and their changing roles in 21st century life. The April issue is now available on newsstands and online in its entirety at www.natgeo.com/TheRaceissue.
AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC is produced by Katie Couric Media, National Geographic Studios and Lincoln Square Productions. Katie Couric, Jeanmarie Condon, Tim Pastore, Kevin Mohs and Betsy Forhan are executive producers.
# # #
National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Katie Couric Media:
Katie Couric Media develops and produces multiplatform content, including scripted and unscripted shows, web series and documentaries. Katie Couric Media projects include AMERICA INSIDE OUT, a six-part documentary series for National Geographic; the National Geographic documentary GENDER REVOLUTION; the Lifetime movie “Flint,” with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, about the drinking water contamination in Flint, Michigan; and a forthcoming scripted series for Netflix based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning expose “An Unbelievable Story of Rape.” Katie Couric Media also produces the Katie Couric podcast, a 2016 Apple “Favorite,” from Stitcher, which features the journalist in candid, unscripted conversations about American life and politics. Katie Couric is the executive producer of the documentaries “Fed Up” (2014) and “Under the Gun” (2016), both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
About Lincoln Square Productions:
ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions produces original content for broadcast, cable and digital distribution specializing in compelling ways to tell fact-based stories, including ABC’s “What Would You Do?,” “In an Instant,” John Ridley’s critically acclaimed documentary on the Los Angeles riots “Let It Fall,” the “Madoff” miniseries starring Richard Dreyfuss, the “Oscars® Opening Ceremony: Live From the Red Carpet” and Investigation Discovery’s “Barbara Walters Presents,” as well as documentary programming for a wide array of partners, including PBS, Discovery Communications and A&E Networks. Lincoln Square Productions is wholly owned by the American Broadcasting Companies Inc. The headquarters are located in New York City’s Lincoln Square neighborhood.
Media Contacts:
Adrienne D’Amato, National Geographic, 212-656-0707, adrienne.damato@natgeo.com
Stephanie Silva, National Geographic, 212-656-0736, stephanie.silva@natgeo.com
