MEDIA ALERT: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND KATIE COURIC RELEASE FOOTAGE AND PERSONAL ESSAY REFLECTING ON COURIC'S EXPERIENCE AT VIOLENT RALLY IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

The Footage is Part of an Upcoming Six-Hour Documentary Series for National Geographic

In Addition, National Geographic Publishes Article on What Science Tells Us About Good and Evil

(New York, NY - AUG. 18, 2017) - As part of National Geographic's continued coverage around the events in Charlottesville, Katie Couric releases a personal essay and powerful, raw footage from Saturday's violent Unite the Right rally. The footage is part of an upcoming episode for the documentary series that Couric is working on for National Geographic.

Couric spent 72 hours with counter-protestors leading up to Saturday's rally and shares her experience in a thought-provoking and emotional essay published on National Geographic's website HERE.

The events of the past week are especially personal to me because of my strong connection to Charlottesville I graduated from the University of Virginia and my late sister Emily was the state senator representing the area for many years, said Couric. When we went there to shoot our series about the social, demographic and cultural changes in America, we never expected that this beautiful place would become the center of such ugliness. Perhaps Charlottesville will serve as a wakeup call, that hate groups need to be taken seriously and that fair minded people of all backgrounds and beliefs need to speak-up. Hopefully our series will help contribute to that process.

Direct link to embeddable video HERE. (To embed video, please click on the plus sign under the video description to the right of the video)

Warning: This video contains profanity and disturbing scenes from Charlottesville on August 12, 2017. It also includes footage of James Fields, Jr., who has been charged with second-degree murder in an attack that day

Couric's footage and essay coincides with National Geographic's newly released article What Science Tells Us About Good and Evil, by award-winning writer and New York Times bestselling author, Yudhijt Bhattacharjee. The article explores the roots of evil, and what science tells us about good and evil, and was released early given last weekend's events. It will appear in a future issue of National Geographic magazine. Bhattacharjee is available for interviews.

About 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 128 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers and reaching over 730 million 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 non-profit 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, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer DeGuzman, 212-656-0713, Jennifer.DeGuzman@natgeo.com

Stephanie Silva, 212-656-0736, Stephanie.Silva@natgeo.com

Anna Kukelhaus, 202-258-8020, anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com

LINK:	http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/18/media-alert-national-ge...
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