MTV: Music Television - Choose or Lose Campaign (2001)

One of the guiding principles at MTV: Music Television throughout its 20-year history has been to lead and reflect its audience's awareness. If it's of interest to young adults, than it's an intricate part of the fabric of MTV. In the same respect, MTV brings to its viewers information that will help them feel connected to the larger issues of the day. And so, as the 1992 presidential election campaign approached, the creative team at MTV News--drawing upon the wealth of research and experience they had with young people--realized young adults were not disinterested, but they felt disconnected from the process.

In an effort to help young people get involved, be informed and voice their opinions about what direction our country was heading in, MTV launched the first "Choose or Lose" campaign in 1992. Conceived as a comprehensive on and off-air political awareness campaign designed to educate and inform young viewers about the upcoming presidential election, the "Choose or Lose" campaign included issue-oriented news specials, interviews with the candidates, weekly updates about the campaign and coverage of the Republican and Democratic Conventions. The campaign was a resounding success and helped lead to the largest youth voter turnout in twenty years. Not only did the candidates recognize young voters as a powerful group whose opinions and voices deserved to be heard, but MTV, in partnership with "Rock the Vote," also helped register a record number of young voters.

In 1996, MTV News expanded its plans for the "Choose or Lose" campaign and even designed a custom-made, touring "Choose or Lose" bus, that served as the main production unit for the duration of the 1996 presidential campaign. The bus traveled more than eighty-thousand miles through 48 states, again helping to register more young voters in conjunction with "Rock the Vote," and was part of more than 100 events designed to increase political awareness among young people. Affiliate partners across the country hosted many of the "Choose or Lose" bus stops along the way, helping to register voters in their communities.

In 2000, MTV once again renewed its commitment to informing young people about the political process and registering them to vote. For this last presidential election, "Choose or Lose" covered the campaign trail with a team of young reporters known as the "Choose or Lose Street Team." These four young reporters interviewed all the major party candidates and reported on a number of issues relative to young voter's lives.

Over the last decade, MTV's "Choose or Lose," along with its non-profit partners and affiliates, has registered more than two million new voters. Through expanded programming, interviews, concerts, news specials, online activities, affiliate partnerships and a printed guide designed to provide young voters with information about the elections, MTV's "Choose or Lose" campaigns helped connect young people and give them a strong voice in the political process. At the same time, "Choose or Lose" has become a unique new voice in the political-news media, championing the opinions of young people across the country.