Seventeen Launches Delete Digital Drama Campaign to Help Eliminate Cyberbullying

SEVENTEEN PARTNERS WITH FACEBOOK, jcpenney, NANETTE LEPORE AND STOMP OUT BULLYING™ TO STOP CYBERBULLYING WITH [DELETE] DIGITAL DRAMA CAMPAIGN Multi-platform Social Media Initiative Empowers Girls to Stand Up to Bullies New York, NY (March 12, 2013) – This month, Seventeen magazine commits to stopping one of the most difficult problems facing teens today: cyberbullying.Seventeen’s Delete Digital Drama multi-platform campaign gives girls the power to eliminate cyberbullying in their lives by simply hitting “delete” when they see a hurtful comment about themselves or anyone else online. “Cyberbullying can be crushing for teens,” says Ann Shoket, editor-in-chief of Seventeen. “But with powerful partners and such influential stars on our team, we can spread the message that we all need to delete the digital drama.” Understanding Cyberbullying:   To better understand how widespread cyberbullying has become, Seventeen partnered with Facebook to survey teens on their thoughts and experiences with online bullying. Reaching a total of 5,000 girls ages 15-22, the results found:   The Bad News: •               51% of girls have seen a hurtful post aimed at another girl at least once a week •               44% of the hurtful posts girls see about other girls have to do with their appearance; a quarter have to do with her sexual reputation The Good News: •               83% of girls think they have a responsibility to stick up for other girls online •               54% of teen girls have stood up to someone who's bullied them or someone else in the past year [Delete] T-Shirts Designed by Nanette Lepore Available at jcpenney: Designer Nanette Lepore is helping to create awareness for the cause through specially designed [delete] t-shirts to be sold exclusively at jcpenney stores and online at jcp.com. Girls who buy the [delete] t-shirt are encouraged to upload a photo of themselves to Instagram with the hashtag #17delete – they have already been joined in standing up to bullying by their favorite celebrities like Ashley Benson, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Bella Thorne, a STOMP Out Bullying™ Global Ambassador. All proceeds from the shirt will benefit STOMP Out Bullying™, an organization committed to reducing and preventing bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, and other digital abuse. jcpenney will also be making a $100,000 donation to the organization. Additional campaign highlights include: ·         Stars Kat Graham (The CW's Vampire Diaries), Ariana Grande (Nick's Victorious) and Bridgit Mendler (singer and star of Disney's Good Luck Charlie) have teamed up with Seventeen to further increase awareness for the cause. ·         Bridget Mendler also recorded an exclusive music video for the campaign singing her song "Postcard” about being true to yourself, no matter what.  ·         OPI created an exclusive #17delete nail polish that will be given out in a street-meets-social campaign throughout New York City on March 18. ·         Readers can upload the [delete] digital drama badge to their Facebook and Twitter pages to visibly spread the word. For more about [Delete] Digital Drama, please visit www.seventeen.com/delete. About Seventeen: Seventeen (www.seventeen.com) is the best-selling monthly teen magazine, reaching more than 12 million readers every month. In each issue, Seventeen reports on the latest in fashion, beauty, health and entertainment, as well as information and advice on the complex real-life issues that young women face every day. Readers can interact with the brand on the digital front, with the Seventeen Ultimate Fashion Flipbook iphone app as well as with the monthly edition of the magazine on the iPad. In addition to its U.S. flagship,Seventeen publishes 13 editions around the world. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation, one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies. With 20 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the leading publisher of monthly magazines in terms of total paid circulation (ABC 2012) and reaches 83 million adults (Fall 2012 MRI gfk). Follow Seventeen on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.  About STOMP Out Bullying: STOMP Out Bullying™ is the leading national anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization for kids and teens in the U.S. Created in 2005, STOMP Out Bullying™ focuses on reducing and preventing bullying, cyberbullying, sexting and other digital abuse, educating against homophobia, racism and hatred, decreasing school absenteeism, and deterring violence in schools, online and in communities across the country. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying; as well as educating kids and teens in school and online, providing help for those in need and at risk of suicide, raising awareness, peer mentoring programs in schools, public service announcements by noted celebrities, and social media campaigns. Its HelpChat Line has helped thousands of students, saving many lives. For more information visit www.stompoutbullying.org, Facebook, and Twitter. About jcpenney: More than a century ago, James Cash Penney founded his company on the principle of the Golden Rule: treat others the way you'd like to be treated – Fair and Square. His legacy continues to this day, as J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) boldly transforms the retail experience across 1,100 stores and jcp.com to become America's favorite store. Focused on making the customer experience better every day, jcpenney is dreaming up new ways to make customers love shopping again. On every visit, customers will discover great prices every day in a unique Shops environment that features exceptionally curated merchandise, a dynamic presentation and unmatched customer service. For more information, visit us at jcp.com.