CNN Press Release: Head-turning redesign combines latest political news with unmatched expertise and analysis

CNN has unveiled some significant changes to the digital home for its political coverage, showcasing the whole of CNN’s world-class political reporting front and center online. Focused on providing users with a more social, conversational and visually compelling online news experience that is easy to navigate, CNNPolitics.com and its companion blog, the Political Ticker, draw on the full strength of CNN’s unparalleled reporting resources – including CNN.com’s political reporting team, the CNN Political Unit, CNN’s Washington and New York bureaus and journalists in the field.

“The new CNNPolitics.com pairs CNN's timely, smart reporting with new interactive features and visual oomph,” said Meredith Artley, vice president and managing editor of CNN.com. “Our dynamic coverage now has the dynamic digital presence it deserves.”

Utilizing a premium design and innovative features incorporating user-generated content and social media activity, the section offers all of the latest – and biggest impact – political stories, video and polls as well as direct access to the Internet’s No. 1 political news blog, the Political Ticker. Some new features on CNNPolitics.com include:

• “The Top 5:” A daily digest of the five most important political stories to keep users in-the-know, from aggregated content around the web to highlights of the weekend political television programs;
• Top Stories & “The Conversation”: A rundown of the biggest political stories of the moment, broken down by the topics generating the most conversation and comments among CNN.com’s users;
• Opinion: The most recent op-eds and daily musings from CNN’s political contributors and pundits on both sides of the aisle – and beyond;
• Polling Center: The place to go for CNN’s extensive polling, plus public political polling across the country; and
• Local Headlines: The latest and greatest political headlines from across the nation and users’ hometowns, customizable by zip code and powered by CNN’s hundreds of local affiliates.

As the premier online destination for all things politics – inside and outside of the beltway – every week, CNNPolitics.com will publish an agenda-setting cover story called “The Sweep,” channeling the award-winning reporting expertise of CNN’s anchors and correspondents. Additionally, the site is introducing new regular editorial features from CNN’s political juggernauts, including:

• “Wolf’s Picks,” regular Political Ticker posting about the top stories to watch from the one-and-only anchor of CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer;
• “Henry in the House,” a weekly column from senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, providing an insider's view of the Obama White House;
• "Reliable Sources," weekly columns by Howie Kurtz, host of the weekly CNN program Reliable Sources, that turn a critical lens on the media and invite the audience to participate in the discussion; and
• Coming soon, “Preston on Politics,” an analytical wrap-up of the day’s political headlines from political editor Mark Preston.

“Everyone in the business knows CNN has the ‘Best Political Team on Television,’ but not everybody knows the extent of the massive team in the wings supplementing, reporting, and breaking political news every single day on-air and online,” said Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “The new CNNPolitics.com will spotlight the extensive political news apparatus that truly makes CNN the place for politics.”

Every day up until the election and every hour into prime time, CNN will provide live on-air updates from the CNNPolitics.com desk in the Washington Bureau, further extending the reach of CNN’s political reporting across platforms. In addition to regular cut-ins from Preston and deputy political editor Paul Steinhauser, CNN anchors and correspondents, including Blitzer, chief political correspondent/anchor Candy Crowley and chief national correspondent/anchor John King, also will report the latest up-to-the-minute political news from the CNNPolitics.com desk.

CNNPolitics.com also features premium content from partner Time Magazine, incorporating more of its sweeping coverage within CNN.com.

Content from CNNPolitics.com is also available through CNN’s mobile website, as well as via the CNN App for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Twitter users also can keep up with CNN’s latest political reporting on the Political Ticker blog by following @PoliticalTicker.