CNN.com Elections coverage

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CNN.com Elections coverage The Good, The Bad and
The Ugly
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Key areas Audience Collaboration Project
management Innovation in storytelling
Interaction with audience The future
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Our audience Questions we ask ourselvesHow do
we best inform our audience on both national and
local politics? How do we serve both the
political junkie and those with basic
understanding of politics? Challenge to reach
political junkies and also those with basic
understanding
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Worked well Your Races/ Election Essentials
feature 101s, explainers ?
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Collaboration Question we ask ourselvesHow do
you work across various departments and platforms
-- and keep everyone (mostly) happy? Keeping
channels open explaining rationale behind
decisions or direction to everyone
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Just some of the departments CNN.com elections
works with CNN.com politics editors TV
political unit Other CNN.com departments
(copy editors, writers, associate producers)
Technical Design CNN Radio/podcast/Headline
News/other Marketing Business Affairs
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Worked well Keeping everyone in the loop but
not dumping too much information on everyone
Working with others to come up with something
that works online Challenge Continue to educate
across platforms and departments the feasibility,
resources and audience of online.
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Project management Question we ask ourselves
How do you balance deadlines, needs and
resources among a variety of groups (technical,
design, editorial, TV, business partners,
etc.)? Beginning early, even with broad
deadlines, is key. Also critical Establishing
roles
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Example Our timeline for 2006 coverage Late
2005 Started planning with broad ideas and
timeline within editorial with some input from
Web developers Feb. 2006 Input from wide
editorial, interactivity editor, Exchange
(community) editor, video editor Sept. 2006
Launch of Phase I special with Flash map of
ratings, Issues, Exchange Oct. 2006 Added
sections Campaign HQ, Senate, House, Gov. races
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Worked well Page or section ownership ?
Thinking of 2006 as a first step in 2008
thinking Challenge Working with outside
companies or resources (such as AP) for data
feeds and keeping them on our deadline
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Innovation in storytelling Question we ask
ourselvesHow can we NOT use a text story?
From 2004 to 2006 and especially in 2008,
transition to even more nuggets of information,
video, charts, photos, maps to tell the story
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Worked well Incorporating all different kinds
of media on pre-election coverage and election
night ? ? Challenge Continuing to
enlighten others on the benefits of multimedia
storytelling. Building awareness and expanding
training and technical resources
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Interaction with audience Question we ask
ourselves How do you engage your audience? How
do you keep audience interest high over a long
news period? Make them part of the process
? Keep them educated about whats
ahead Even more important for 08 coverage
Give readers an outlet for opinions - Community
Caucus Exchange integration Your
Races/Personalization - expansion
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The future Question we ask ourselvesHow can
elections online further evolve? Goals for
CNN.coms 2008 election coverage Give our
readers -- Latest news -- Debate/interaction/co
mmunity -- Research tools (automation, next
level) -- Entertainment/opportunity to laugh
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Challenge Balance coverage of a large field
of candidates Maintain reader interest in
record long election season Exceed success of
past coverage