IFC Greenlights Season Two of The IFC Media Project

"hip, progressive, youth-oriented 60 Minutes" - Chicago Daily News

"both informative and briskly entertaining" - About.com

"splendid, eye-opening series" - Austin Chronicle

Host Gideon Yago Returns to IFC Original Series That Reveals the Truth Behind Today's News Coverage; Premieres on IFC Sunday, May 3 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT

Season Two Will Cover the Conflict In Georgia, Absence of Al Jazeera English in the U.S., Clean Coal Debate, President Obama's Press Relations and Much More

NEW YORK, NY - March 19, 2009 - IFC's eye-opening documentary series The IFC Media Project, which takes a hard look at journalism today to tell the compelling, behind-the-scenes stories of how the news gets made, has been greenlit for a second season. Production on five new episodes began in New York City in early January, with season two slated to premiere Sunday, May 3, at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award winning news correspondent Gideon Yago (CBS News, MTV), this series will continue to bring a fresh, unapologetic, first-hand perspective on a variety of important news stories that were inaccurately reported on from leading news outlets.

"This is a truly important series that reveals what's really going on in our world today versus what the news media feeds consumers," said Meghan O'Hara (Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko), creator and executive producer of The IFC Media Project. "In the new season we will take our exploration of news media even further as we venture across the globe to get the real stories behind current events, conflicts and disasters that may have made headlines, but the entire story was never told."

Created and produced by HonestEngineTV's Meghan O'Hara and Nick McKinney (The Daily Show, Morgan Spurlock's "30 Days"), The IFC Media Project is on the front lines uncovering the influences shaping today's media coverage such as journalistic integrity and ethics, inadequate coverage, the pursuit of exclusive news, government influence on media and agendas. The series' first season premiered on IFC in November 2008.

This season will cover topics on how the media shapes the American worldview. One segment includes a 26-year-old journalism school graduate who journeys to her hometown in Russia to uncover the real story behind the 5-day war between Russia and Georgia. Another feature story centers on the American lobbying efforts to keep Al Jazeera English off channel line-ups in the U.S. Correspondent Gideon Yago looks at the debate over clean coal and how it is dominated by two competing PR campaigns. The IFC Media Project has also been tracking four White House journalists since Obama's first press conference to give an inside look into how Obama's administration relates to the press.

"The IFC Media Project is today's media watch-dog uncovering the missteps in news gathering and reporting, and giving viewers a compelling reason for why we need to think critically about everything we see, read and hear. IFC has never shied away from taking on tough issues in our irreverent non-fiction programming, and The IFC Media Project is no exception," said Jennifer Caserta, executive vice president & general manager of IFC. "This series was one of IFC's most critically acclaimed originals of 2008, and we are pleased to bring our independent, influential audience all-new episodes in May."

Last season, The IFC Media Project highlighted stories before they made the mainstream news circuit, including a Wall Street segment on the economic crisis, which called out the pro-market antics of Jim Cramer well before the major news outlets took notice.

"It's exciting to be part of a show that can evolve with each new season. Last season we focused on waking people up to the problems with news coverage today. This season we've managed to be on the ground not only where major stories are breaking, but also in those places the mainstream press has missed entirely," said Nick McKinney, co-creator and executive producer of The IFC Media Project. "This means we can continue to give our viewers unique information and a unique perspective in an edgy and uncompromising way."

Background research and sources of information used in the making of season two of The IFC Media Project, as well as clips, expert bloggers and media literacy resources will become available at www.IFC.com/MediaProject prior to premiere. Viewers can also share their story ideas for future segments on the show's dedicated website.

IFC executive producers on this series include Debbie DeMontreux, senior vice president, original programming, Christine Lubrano, vice president of original programming, Jennifer Caserta, executive vice president and general manager and Evan Shapiro, president of IFC tv and Sundance channel.

About IFC

Operating under the mantra "always, uncut," IFC (The Independent Film Channel) recommends and creates genre-bending content that indulges the alternative culture obsessions of our influential audience and makes it available across multiple platforms: on-air, online and On Demand. In pursuit of what's new, next and relevant, IFC creates original non-traditional comedies like The Whitest Kids U' Know and Z Rock and irreverent non-fiction such as The IFC Media Project. IFC's original programming airs alongside a comprehensive independent film library of award-winning titles and cult classics, as well as content inspired by Music, Web, Gaming, Animation, News & Culture and more. IFC broadens the audience for independent culture through its exclusive live coverage of notable film and music events like the Independent Spirit Awards and South by Southwest. The network's on demand offering, IFC Free, gives audiences the opportunity to watch premieres of all of IFC's original series before they air on the linear network. IFC Media Lab offers financing, professional development and distribution opportunities for aspiring film makers. IFC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.