The NYTimes’ 20-something (and we’re talking early 20-something) Brian Stelter writes about how the cable networks and broadcast news divisions are reaching out to younger voters this election year.
On cable news, CNN promotes a “League of First Time Voters” and the Fox News Channel is covering what it calls the Y Factor with a full-time correspondent. On broadcast, NBC has assigned Luke Russert, the son of the late anchor Tim Russert, to the youth vote beat and ABC, CBS and PBS are all running stories by student journalists.
FNC has a median age of 63.9. CNN’s is four years younger and MSNBC’s, eight years younger. And with a 60.5, the evening newscasts are not ignoring young voters either.
CBS News is posting content from UWire, a college newspaper wire service, on its Web site. And ABC News is setting up so-called college digital bureaus at five journalism schools to train and mentor students. The offices will start running in September and continue after the election. Students chosen by ABC and the schools will produce stories for ABC’s Internet and TV outlets.