CNN Pressroom - CNN Unveils New Election Center in New York with Innovative Graphics Capabilities

CNN will marshal its extensive resources and political expertise for wall-to-wall coverage of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, 2008. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer, along with Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs, will lead the network’s special coverage of the Iowa caucuses out of the new CNN Election Center in New York. Special programming will begin at 4 p.m. (ET) and run late into the night.

The CNN Election Center is the network’s new political nerve center located in CNN’s broadcast headquarters in New York. CNN’s team of statisticians and political analysts will pour over data and polling information to bring viewers the most accurate results as voters are caucusing and then as results come in.

Because of the nature of this election season – with an array of viable candidates, no incumbents running from either party and a compressed primary calendar – CNN has created a whole new way to visualize these races. The power of the network’s new election graphics will be particularly apparent on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, for Super Tuesday as more than 20 states go to the polls to choose from among numerous candidates. The Election Center and its new graphics capabilities will be integral to CNN’s reporting during upcoming primary and caucus nights, the conventions in the summer and the general election on Nov. 4, 2008.

Throughout the day and evening on Jan. 3, CNN’s Emmy Award-winning political team will offer the latest news and thoughtful analysis. Reporting from the Election Center and from around the state of Iowa will be Dana Bash, congressional correspondent; Gloria Borger, senior political analyst; Jack Cafferty, commentator; Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent; Tom Foreman, correspondent; John King, chief national correspondent; Chris Lawrence, correspondent; Dan Lothian, Boston bureau chief; Joe Johns, correspondent; Suzanne Malveaux, White House correspondent; John Roberts, American Morning anchor; Bill Schneider, senior political analyst; Mary Snow, correspondent; Jeff Toobin, legal analyst; Jessica Yellin, congressional correspondent. CNN’s stellar group of nationally-know political contributors from both sides of the aisle will also be on hand to deliver expert analysis.

CNN’s stellar group of nationally known political contributors from both sides of the aisle, including Bill Bennett, Carl Bernstein, Donna Brazile, Amy Holmes, Roland Martin and J.C. Watts, will also be on hand to deliver expert analysis.

In addition, CNN will offer up-to-the minute reporting and analysis at CNNPolitics.com and on the CNN Political Ticker at www.CNN.com/ticker. CNN.com Live will have extended coverage of the results, with CNN.com anchor Melissa Long co-anchoring the coverage from the Election Center New York and CNN.com anchor Reggie Aqui co-anchoring from Atlanta.

CNN Radio will provide live anchored coverage of the caucuses with Lisa Desjardins anchoring from Iowa. CNN Newsource will provide its affiliates access to reports and live shots on-site from correspondent Samantha Hayes.

Each month in 2008, CNN Student News will be “Talking Democracy” by introducing an election-year topic in the show and online. From caucus to convention and primary to poll, CNN Student News will break down these election-year concepts. Teachers, parents and students can find the CNN Student News program and its curriculum materials online at www.CNNStudentNews.com and on Headline News from Monday through Friday at 4 a.m. (ET)
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