MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, together with NBC News and msnbc.com, two of the most globally-respected names in news, today announced an exclusive partnership to launch Decision ‘08 (www.myspace.com/decision08), a comprehensive online center for in-depth 2008 election-related news, analysis and discussion. Available to more than 100 million active MySpace users worldwide, Decision ‘08 will be an essential component of MySpace’s IMPACT Channel, the site’s popular hub for civic and social engagement. Decision ‘08 will also roll out innovative features and new, interactive opportunities for the online community to actively engage with NBC News and msnbc.com content, anchors and reporters in the upcoming months of the election season.
Live today, Decision ‘08 presents up-to-the-minute election coverage, news feeds and daily videos from NBC News and msnbc.com, user-generated content from the MySpace community, and will link to profiles of NBC News and MSNBC anchors and reporters, including Brian Williams, Tim Russert and Chris Matthews. In addition to offering its content via MySpace, msnbc.com will also link to and integrate Decision ‘08 into its own Politics home page (www.politics.msnbc.com).
“The 2008 election is proving to be the most youth- and technology-driven race in history, and MySpace is a significant forum for political discussion today,” said Lee Brenner, Director of IMPACT and Executive Producer of Political Programming at MySpace. “We are privileged today to be partnering with such revered news organizations as NBC News and msnbc.com, and to be taking our first steps in what will be a unique and engaging collaboration for the MySpace community.”
“NBC News has never been more committed to delivering quality news and information where and when our users and viewers want it,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, Vice President of Digital Media at NBC News. “The Decision ‘08 hub at MySpace will give everyone in the vast MySpace community access to the information and tools they need to engage in this crucial election.”
"Msnbc.com's best-in-the-business politics coverage and the power of the MySpace community are a perfect pair in this epic election season," said Jennifer Sizemore, Vice President and Editor-In-Chief of msnbc.com. "Users will be able to drive their own experiences with the best political tools, news and analysis."
The Decision ‘08 hub will also introduce new resources for users, such as RSS feeds delivering news on all the major presidential candidates, the latest political news from msnbc.com’s exclusive political news blog, “First Read” (www.firstread.msnbc.com), as well as online voter registration, an interactive map with election statistics, and featured videos and photos from past MySpace IMPACT events. Additionally, Decision ’08 will give users the opportunity to participate in reporting from significant political events later this year, as well as contribute to online polls.
Decision ‘08 is a key component of the MySpace IMPACT Channel http://impact.myspace.com, which empowers MySpace users to make a difference in the world and allows politicians, non-profits, and civic organizations to connect with MySpace’s global audience. The IMPACT Channel houses the official MySpace profiles for the 2008 Presidential candidates, as well as tools to enable voter registration, fundraising, and volunteering. On January 1 and 2, 2008 the IMPACT Channel hosted the first presidential primary in the nation with more than 150,000 MySpace users voicing their choice for the nation’s highest office.
Politics.msnbc.com, powered by NBC News/MSNBC Cable and National Journal, is one of the web’s most popular destinations for political news, analysis and video. The site features comprehensive insight on the political landscape with original reporting, news, commentary, live blog updates, on-the-scene observations and web-exclusive analysis from leading sources, including The New York Times.
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. MySpace has created a connected global community by integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums. MySpace's international network includes more than 20 localized community sites in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Japan, and New Zealand. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS - News, NWS.A - News; ASX:NWS - News, NWSLV - News).
About NBC News
NBC News has been a leading source of global news and information for more than 75 years, first on radio, and today via broadcast and cable television, the Internet, radio and cell phones. Operating around the clock with bureaus in key cities in the United States and overseas, NBC News provides immediate coverage and in-depth reporting of major events to a worldwide audience.
For more than a decade, NBC News has served as the dominant force in television news, watched by more Americans than any other news organization. NBC News provides more than 25 hours of weekly programming, including Nightly News with Brian Williams, and the top-rated rated Today and Meet the Press with Tim Russert programs. Dateline NBC is the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime. As the only broadcast news division with an affiliated cable channel, MSNBC provides 24-hours-a-day coverage of news events around the globe with the dedicated resources of NBC News. Msnbc.com consistently ranks as one of the leading news and information sites on the Internet. NBC Mobile provides news and information updates and show excerpts to cell phone users throughout the day reported by the anchors and correspondents of NBC News, and NBC News Radio produces up-to-the-minute radio reports for affiliated stations in all major markets across the country.
Members of the media can get more information about NBC and its programming on the NBC Media Village Web site at www.nbcumv.com.