CNN's Lisa Ling Hosts Benefit to Support Child Welfare Reform

SAN FRANCISCO - Sept. 30, 2014 - PRLog -- Lisa Ling, executive producer and host of CNN’s new docu-series THIS IS LIFE will emcee "Late Night with FMC," a mock talk show to highlight how journalism can improve the lives of vulnerable children.

Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a San Francisco-based non-profit that uses journalism focused on solutions to improve the child welfare system.

While there will be comedy bits and a celebrity guest host, "Late Night with FMC" promises more than your traditional talk show banter.

"We chose to host a talk show because what we talk about and how we talk about it matters," said Daniel Heimpel, FMC’s executive director. "If we as journalists were vigilant in matching all the problems we cover with solutions, this world would be a better place.”

Ling has long been a practitioner of what she calls “compassionate journalism.” This summer she hosted and produced a television documentary focused on foster care.

“For that episode we were given unprecedented access,” Ling said. “We were able to mix the complexity of how foster care works with the lives of children and adults involved in the system to tell an honest story.  I hope this helps inform the policy decisions that will ultimately affect these young people.”

The event will take place at Futures Without Violence, a national violence-prevention non-profit headquartered in the Presidio of San Francisco. Esta Soler, the founder and president of the organization, will offer opening remarks.

“I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful journalism can help shape public perception and policy surrounding vulnerable populations,” Soler said. “We are so proud to host this event at our headquarters in the Presidio, and to work alongside an organization like FMC to shine a light on these critical issues.”

WHERE:          The Open Square at Futures Without Violence
         100 Montgomery St., The Presidio, San Francisco 94129

WHEN:          Thursday, October 16, 2014 from 6:00-9:00 PM

NOTE: Press welcome. Please RSVP at crenick@fosteringmediaconnections.org

Event sponsors include California Alliance of Child and Family Services and Sum of All Numbers Bookkeeping and Payroll Services. Sponsorship and ticket information available at https://latenightfmc.eventbrite.com.

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About Fostering Media Connections (FMC): FMC harnesses the power of journalism and media to advance child welfare and juvenile justice reform by covering emerging solutions to the systems’ challenges.FMC accomplishes this mission by reporting and producing in-depth news stories, which are published in The Chronicle of Social Change. FMC also trains student journalists, policymakers and social workers in solution- based journalism. Learn more at www.fosteringmediaconnections.org and www.chronicleofsocialchange.org.

About Lisa Ling: Ling is currently executive producer and host of THIS IS LIFE on CNN. For five seasons prior, Ling executive produced and hosted Our America on OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network. As the former field correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, contributor to ABC News' Nightline and National Geographic's Explorer, Lisa Ling has reported from dozens of countries, covering issues that are too often ignored. Lisa is the co-author of Mother, Daughter, Sister, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood and Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home.

About Futures Without Violence: Under the leadership and vision of founder Esta Soler for more than 30 years, Futures Without Violence has led the way and set the pace for ground-breaking education programs, national policy development, professional training programs, and public actions designed to end violence against women, children and families around the world. In 1994, Futures Without Violence was instrumental in developing the landmark Violence Against Women Act passed by the U.S. Congress.