CNN, Facebook Partner on Election Coverage

Will use Facebook as a "second screen" for its election coverage

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/9/2012 12:08:52 PM

CNN has announced a partnership with Facebook for its 2012 election coverage that will include a second screen "I'm Voting" app, user analytics, surveys and other interactive applications that will be available to CNN's on-air, mobile and online audiences and Facebook 160 million U.S. users.

"We fundamentally changed the way people consume live event coverage online, setting a record for the most-watched live video event in Internet history, when we teamed up with Facebook for the 2009 inauguration of President Obama," said KC Estenson, senior VP for CNN Digital. "By again harnessing the power of the Facebook platform and coupling it with the best of our journalism, we will redefine how people engage in the democratic process and advance the way a news organization covers a national election."

The "I'm Voting" Facebook app in English and Spanish will allow Facebook users to endorse specific candidates and issues and make commitments to vote. These commitments will be visually displayed for each state on an interactive map.

Users will also be able to use the app as a "second screen" for CNN's "America's Choice 2012" political coverage. CNN will use the app to ask Facebook users political questions and will report on their answers during on-air, online and mobile segments.

Facebook and CNN have also agreed to work together to track "the buzz" around presidential and vice-presidential candidates, with Facebook reporting results from overall discussion around each candidate and CNN providing a more specific state by state analysis.

In addition, the two companies will survey voting-age users in key U.S. locations and demographics for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Presidential Debates, Election Day and other significant dates on the election calendar. Results will be made available on CNN, CNN.com, and on the U.S. Politics on Facebook page, which is Facebook's hub for campaign 2012 information.