CHESTER, Pa., Aug. 28, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Four college students are using an interactive educational reality show called BlogAbroad.com to bring study abroad to the masses.
As they study in locations such as Jordan, France, Germany and India during their fall semester, they will have a potential audience of reality show fans, academics and future study abroad students tracking their experiences. The difference between their show and other reality shows like The Real World is that BlogAbroad.com is posted over the Internet via an interactive Web log, or blog.
Joe Barresi, Judd Hower, Gabrielle DeNevyn and Michal McConville will use the popular new medium of blogging to entertain people while informing them about the realities of studying abroad.
And for Barresi, who is studying in Jordan, it is an opportunity to show a new side of the Middle East.
All their stories will be posted as journals on a website called www.BlogAbroad.com. Viewers will be able to read these posts as well as see pictures and listen to periodic podcasts -- online radio shows -- to help them associate voices and faces with the words. Viewers will also be able to respond to the bloggers and ask questions or make comments.
This is the fourth season of BlogAbroad.com, and what made previous seasons successful was that for the first time ever, the audience could interact with the star of the show. The audience actually became the supporting cast. The new season hopes to improve on its predecessor with even higher levels of interaction.
"The first three seasons were a breakthrough for the reality show genre," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of StudyAbroad.com, the company behind BlogAbroad.com. "This new season will continue to innovate and give the audience an influence over the show like never before. Plus, while being highly entertaining, BlogAbroad.com is a terrific educational tool. It is a way to show firsthand what it is like to study abroad, and we anticipate our new bloggers will take us on amazing and unique adventures, expanding our understanding of the world."
The four bloggers were chosen from hundreds of students studying abroad who competed for the part. Three judges chose them based on a 250-300 word written audition as well as answers to a few questions.
Judd Hower, the blogger studying for a year in Germany, says, "BlogAbroad.com is a unique opportunity for me to document my experiences while studying abroad. It also provides me with a platform for my friends and family back home to read about my life in Germany. I am looking forward to the new experiences and challenges awaiting me this upcoming semester."
Blogging has been growing in popularity since it first made waves during the 2004 Presidential election and podcasts hit the mainstream when Apple's iTunes allowed free downloads.
The podcasts are being made possible by Telestial, Inc., who donated satellite phones and long-distance service to the bloggers.