Photo: National Journal's Major Garrett on CBS' "Face the Nation"
CBS News and the National Journal have struck a deal to form a political news coverage partnership for the 2012 election season. The two organizations will form a joint team of political reporters, who will contribute to CBS News, CBSNews.com and NationalJournal.com. Reporters will be announced and dispatched to the field in the coming weeks.
“We’re putting a new focus on politics here at CBS News,” said CBS News president David Rhodes in a memo to staff.
“This fresh approach is part of our broad-reaching political coverage strategy and will enable CBS News to produce the strongest reports on politics in the field. These reporters– not “embeds,” please, Reporters–will play an important role in achieving that objective.”
For National Journal, the deal gives a significant amount of national exposure for a news outlet traditionally associated with the political circles of Washington DC and New York City.
For CBS News, it provides access to additional top-notch political reporters, which may provide a competitive edge.
By sharing resources, the two organizations may also be able to maximize their budgets. With print magazines and broadcast news being two of the hardest hit forms of media in recent years, that has the potential to be a big deal for the bottom line.
More information below.
CBS NEWS AND NATIONAL JOURNAL FORM A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR THEIR MULTI-PLATFORM POLITICAL COVERAGE
CBS News and National Journal have formed a new partnership for multi-platform political coverage, it was announced today by David Rhodes, President, CBS News, and Ron Fournier, editor-in-chief of National Journal. The partnership establishes a joint team of political reporters to follow presidential candidates throughout the 2012 election season.
The new team will report for CBS News, cbsnews.com, and nationaljournal.com, providing coverage from the field with online dispatches, video and social media updates. Reports will appear on both organizations’ Web sites.
“This is a powerful partnership which will produce the strongest coverage of politics in the field,” said Rhodes. “With National Journal, we will leverage the work of top CBS News correspondents and provide the most insightful and competitive reporting available.”
“We are thrilled to be working with CBS News, a journalistic organization known for its high standards,” said Fournier. “Together, we will do reporting that challenges the conventional wisdom, drives the conversation and breaks news on a regular basis.”
The joint effort combines CBS News’ legendary tradition of journalistic excellence and groundbreaking political reporting with National Journal’s reputation for depth and analysis. Political reporters will be named shortly and will begin filing reports and broadcasting from the field in the next few weeks.
About CBS News
CBS News is the news and information division of CBS Corporation, dedicated to providing the best in journalism under standards it pioneered at the dawn of radio and television and continues to set in today’s digital age. Headquartered in New York, CBS News includes bureaus across the globe and influential, critically acclaimed programs providing newsmaking features and interviews, investigative reports, analysis and breaking news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, utilizing a multi-platform model for news distribution across television (CBS Television Network), radio (CBS Radio News), the Internet (CBSNews.com) and hand-held devices (CBS Mobile). CBS News’ multiple award-winning programs include 60 MINUTES, THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY, THE EARLY SHOW, 48 HOURS MYSTERY, FACE THE NATION and CBS SUNDAY MORNING.
About National Journal
With up-to-the-minute breaking news and analysis at NationalJournal.com, the essential intelligence of National Journal Daily, the knowledge and depth of National Journal magazine, and the comprehensive campaign coverage of National Journal Hotline, National Journal is Washington’s premier source for 360-degree insight on politics and policy.
Rhodes’ memo to CBS News staff:
——Original Message——
From: Rhodes, David
Subject: Campaign Partnership/ National Journal
Sent: Jun 15, 2011 10:02 AMWe’re putting a new focus on politics here at CBS News. Today we can announce a powerful partnership with National Journal for multi-platform political coverage.
With our friends at National Journal we are establishing a joint team of political reporters to follow the presidential candidates throughout the 2012 election season.
This fresh approach is part of our broad-reaching political coverage strategy and will enable CBS News to produce the strongest reports on politics in the field. These reporters– not “embeds,” please, Reporters–will play an important role in achieving that objective.
With National Journal, we will leverage the work of top CBS Correspondents and provide the most insightful and competitive dispatches available.
The new team will report for CBS News, cbsnews.com, and nationaljournal.com, providing coverage from the field with online text, video, and social media updates.
Washington Bureau Chief Chris Isham has done a terrific job working with National Journal editor-in-chief Ron Fournier and his colleagues on a plan that will break news and challenge the conventional wisdom.
See you on the trail,
David