AMBITION! DEADLINES! POWER STRUGGLES! BYLINES!

New MTV Series "The Paper" Chronicles The Daily Pressures Of High School Journalists

By MTV News and Docs - Here's a bit of news the press doesn't want to get out � when it comes to drama, journalists can bring it as well as any gossip girl or pink coifed blogger out there. On the new MTV News & Docs series "The Paper" which premieres on Monday, April 14th at 10:30PM(ET/PT), deadlines, personality clashes, edits and attitudes incorporate the hectic drama filled days of 7 student staffers and their class advisor at The Circuit, the newspaper produced by Cypress Bay High School out of Weston, Florida.

In a refreshing change from the teenage fashionistas and jocks television viewers have become accustomed to, "The Paper" offers a peek into a rarely seen side of High School life � the ambitious, competitive kids who are focused on their futures yet also still deal with adult issues and personal challenges. Scored with quirky music and shot with a hip edge by MTV cameras both in school and elsewhere the premiere episode focuses on a few students ardently competing for the position of Editor in Chief at the paper. The exploration of the keen and zealous personalities of these students makes it a must see.

You'll meet � Amanda who's seemingly sole purpose is to become Editor-in-Chief in her senior year but considering her controversial reputation with fellow staffers she'll need to gain some allies to become the leader she envisions herself to be. Alex the sports editor who's the class favorite for the top spot at the paper because of his practical nature and approachability. Adam who's got the gift of gab and could easily cop the spot but perhaps his gusto is just too much for the staff to handle. Giana who as the clubs editor is confident and straightforward but the question is can she remain focused while dating Trevor who's also on staff. Trevor is the assistant business manager and is known to have had some tense moments with Amanda that could potentially divide them all. Dan is a staff writer and while he could easily be considered the class clown makes great contributions to the paper. Cassia is the entertainment editor and peacemaker which as Amanda's best friend is a definite plus. The entire staff is monitored under the watchful eye of Rhonda Weiss who developed the journalism class for the school and has overseen all aspects of the production of The Circuit newspaper and its staffers since its inception. Throughout the series you can expect tension, meltdowns, high school antics and more.

"We have been struck by the passion, intensity, and expertise of the staff of The Circuit. They work incredibly hard, care deeply about their work, and are very good at what they do, said Marshall Eisen, SVP MTV News & Docs. "We hope that when viewers meet these dynamic, smart, opinionated people who have so much drive and determination�they'll get caught up in their stories and find it very watchable television."

And to help those high schools that do NOT currently have their own newspaper, think.mtv.com (MTV's online community for youth activism) and hsj.org (the country's largest host of teen media) will be partnering to host a contest in which three high schools will be chosen to receive the resources to start their own student newspaper online. Three teens will each get $500 and an IPod and their schools will each get $3,000. Contest details soon on both Web sites.

A free download of the first episode of "The Paper" will be available as a Download-To-Own at iTunes Store, Amazon Unbox, Xbox Live Marketplace and BitTorrent one week before the premiere on April 7th. MTV.com will offer full episodes for on demand, exclusive photos and a blog with inside scoops on the cast. In addition fans can check out weekly one minute sneak peeks of the following week's episode and digital copies of The Circuit newspaper will also be available.

This is a series that goes beyond one's expectation of teen dramas. Viewers of this fun and insightful series will come away with a better understanding and appreciation of the news process as a whole. How valuable it still remains and all it embodies. Ultimately "The Paper" delivers an entertaining and revealing look into high school journalism and that's great news. "The Paper" was developed by Lindsey Bannister. Lindsey Bannister, Jessica Chesler, Sam Simmons, Marshall Eisen, and Dave Sirulnick are executive producers. Joseph Van Harken is co-executive producer. Claresa Mandola is series producer.