David Mathison returned to Belmont University's New Century Journalism Program on February 28, 2011 to speak to students about how he started his business and got the idea to create HomeAid, a virtual event to benefit the homeless and those facing foreclosure.
Mathison shared his experiences of traveling to New Orleans to help clean up and rebuild after Hurrican Katrina. He also talked about how social media is significant and how it increased the sales of his book Be The Media. So to emphasize the importance of using social media as a tool Mathison ecouraged students to use laptops, cell phones, and other electronics in order to post information on the web during his speech.
David Mathison will be speaking at Belmont University's New Century Journalism program on Feb 28, 2011 in Nashville TN. He was originally scheduled to speak there on May 3, 2010, but Nashville was hit by a devastating 500-year flood. It was the first time in the University’s history that classes were cancelled due to rain.
David Mathison spoke to the Introduction to Broadcasting Media and Advanced Radio Production classes taught by Professor Winston Mitchell at Medgar Evers College on February 28, 2011. The classes provide students with a background to television and radio broadcasting and teach them the tools they need to create and produce material. The Advanced Radio Production class requires students to be involved in radio production on campus which allows them to get a hands on experience to prepare for the real world.
David Mathison gave the students an inside view of how he uses Publicity and Public Relations in his business. He provided details about HomeAid, the world's largest, vitural, carbon-free benefit event to help keep families in their homes. Mathsion talked about how he runs his camagin, came up with the idea, and was able to get Ken Kragen to join the team.
Ken Kragen, Organizer of “We Are The World” Joins Home Aid, a Virtual Fund-Raising Event to Benefit America’s Homeless, Children, and Veterans
NEW YORK – February 23, 2011 – Ken Kragen has signed on with HomeAid, a virtual benefit event to help America’s homeless families, children, and veterans, to be held November, 2012 in New York during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
“This is the single biggest charity event to focus on these issues since ‘We Are the World,’ and ‘Hands Across America,’said Kragen, who had raised millions to fight hunger with those two projects in the mid 1980’s. “It’s a natural for me to be involved in Home Aid with my more than three decades of work on this issue beginning with my management of the late Harry Chapin back in the 1970’s, and continuing with active roles in the production of ‘LiveAid’ and ‘NetAid.’
Kragen joins media company Be The Media in developing strategies and helping to secure talent and sponsors for the groundbreaking Home Aidevent.
He organized Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and more than 40 other artists to create the group USA for Africa. The charity song they recorded, ‘We Are the World,’ became the biggest selling single of all time and a top-selling album, raising over $64 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States. ‘Hands Across America’ added another $34 million to that total.
Now Kragen is enlisting artists to contribute video and live performances to appear on the Home Aid.net website. Funds raised from the event will go to Home Aid and other nonprofits that fight homelessness and help those who are homeless due to natural disasters.
“I’m honored to be working with the legendary Ken Kragen on this historic event, especially considering that over 95% of the acts he managed have become superstars, and 90% of the projects he created and spearheaded have achieved success,” said David Mathison, CEO of Be The Media.
While teaming up with Kragen will help Home Aid secure major celebrities and performers, the producers expect much of the event to be driven by grassroots fan participation.
“You don’t have to donate money to make a difference,” said Mathison, “I want fans out there to tweet their favorite artists or email their booking agents, and tell them to be part of this event. With 2010 being the worst year on record for CD sales and touring, we want to offer artists a whole new platform for promotion, with almost limitless reach.”
The event’s official website, www.HomeAid.net, has many ways for people to participate and help out. Individuals can use the site to host live internet “House Parties” to raise awareness and solicit donations. They can also upload videos that will be part of the Home Aid event, and soon will be able to download a mobile application for their Android or iPhone.
On February 28, 2011, Mathison will be speaking at Belmont University’s New Century Journalism Program in Nashville, TN, and then meeting with Home Aid celebrities and sponsors at the Country Radio Broadcasters conference. Mathison was originally scheduled to speak at Belmont University on May 3, 2010, but cancelled when Nashville was hit with a 500-year flood. This tragedy partly inspired him to found Home Aid to benefit the homeless and Americans who are affected by natural disasters.
Home Aid America is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless. The organization builds and maintains shelters where homeless families and individuals, more than one million of whom are children, can rebuild their lives.
Founded in 1989 by the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIA/SC), an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Home Aid has now completed more than 200 homeless shelters nationwide costing in excess of $170 million of which approximately 50 percent has been donated by the building industry. More than 100,000 Americans have been given the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Home Aid facilities.
Be The Media helps celebrities and businesses spread the buzz about their work.
From 1994-1999, Mathison was Vice President with Reuters, the world’s largest news agency, where he pioneered online content syndication. As founder and CEO of the Kinecta Corporation (now part of Oracle), he raised $30 million in under 2 years. Mathison has a Masters from Columbia University. For more information, please go to www.BeTheMedia.com
David Mathison was a guest speaker for a Writing for the Electronic Media at PACE University on February 10, 2011. The class provides real life stories and hands on training to students who want to fulfill careers in electronic media. It also teaches the types of concepts and techniques that are used in today's production of radio and television media.
David Mathison talked to the students about Public Relations and Publicity. He also helped the class with designing media campaigns that included press releases and television advertising.
