CNN Wants to Engage First-Time Voters with New Campaign

League of First Time Voters Multiplatform Initiative Launches with Dedicated Web Site

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/21/2008 11:05:00 AM

One day before the Pennsylvania primary, CNN is launching a campaign to educate, inform and connect first-time voters.

The multiplatform initiative, dubbed the “League of First Time Voters,” will provide up-to-date election information, voter-registration information, in-depth profiles of the candidates and an examination of their positions, as well as an extensive video library allowing the words of the candidates to speak for themselves.

CNN launched a Web site that will house the information.

“Millions of viewers, incredibly energized by this presidential campaign and by these candidates, have turned to CNN for our independent, incisive political coverage and debate programming,” CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein said in a statement. “The League provides us with the opportunity to empower those who haven’t voted before and those who haven’t taken part in the election process to have a voice this political season.”

CNN will incorporate the League campaign into its broader strategy, tagging all League of First Time Voters-related submissions to iReport.com and promoting the campaign on-air with a series of special reports, hosted by Rick Sanchez, which will also be available online at the dedicated Web sites.

Sanchez will profile many of the first-time voters in Pennsylvania in a series of reports leading up to the primary Tuesday. Continuing on weekends leading up to the general election, Sanchez will examine what motivates the new voters, as well as the impact they may have when Election Day rolls around.

Following the party conventions, CNN plans to expand the initiative by, among other things, distributing special badges for League members to feature on their profiles on other social-networking sites.

“More people are turning to online news sites for election news this year than ever before, and the League will help them to stay informed and get connected,” said Mitch Gelman, senior vice president and executive producer of CNN.com, in announcing the initiative. “We are excited to create a place for people to find simple, fun ways to learn more about the candidates, issues and events that will inform their important choices.”

CNN is hoping that leverage it gained with young voters in the first quarter of this year translates to the first-time-voters campaign. The network finished first in the 18-49 and 25-54 demos in primetime thanks in large part to the drawn-out presidential campaigns and the debates that came with the process.