PBS NewsHour and NPR Announce Joint Election Coverage

Washington, D.C. (June 16, 2015) – At the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Board of Directors meeting today, NPR and PBS NewsHour announced an agreement to work together during the 2016 elections. NPR News and PBS NewsHour will cover the 2016 political conventions together: one team of journalists and one broadcast, designed to work for radio and television as well as digital audiences. This joint coverage will seek to leverage the work of journalists in more than 200 public radio newsrooms and PBS stations across the country. And primetime live simulcasts from the conventions — July 18-21, 2016 for the Republican National Convention and July 25-28, 2015 for the Democratic National Convention — will be a first for public media.

“Our goal at the conventions, and throughout the elections, will be to grapple with issues and engage voters. We’ll listen to what they think is important and push toward a journalism that contributes to a more civil electoral discussion,” said Michael Oreskes, NPR Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director. “We want to minimize handicapping elections like a horse race. Picking winners is the job of voters. Our job is to produce the most comprehensive issue-based election coverage.”

“Our combined resources across the PBS NewsHour and NPR represent some of the most experienced political reporters and analysts in the country,” said Sara Just, Executive Producer of the PBS NewsHour and Senior Vice President of WETA. “By creating a stronger collaboration, our television viewers, radio listeners, and millions online and on social media will benefit.”

The convention special broadcasts will be anchored by the PBS NewsHour co-anchors and managing editors Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill. NPR reporters will be on the convention floors talking with delegates and elected officials. NPR National Political Correspondent Mara Liasson, Senior Editor Ron Elving and Political Editor Domenico Montanaro will be featured analysts as well as the NewsHour’s Political Director Lisa Desjardins and others. As part of its comprehensive election coverage, NPR and PBS NewsHour are also developing a strong plan for collaboration with member stations on the 2016 campaign.

NPR
NPR connects to audiences on the air, online, and in person. More than 26 million radio listeners tune in to NPR each week and more than 30 million unique visitors access NPR.org each month making NPR one of the most trusted sources of news and insights on life and the arts. NPR shares compelling stories, audio and photos with millions of social media users on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat; NPR News and NPR One apps, online streaming, podcasts, iTunes radio and connected car dashboards help meet audiences where they are. NPR’s live events bring to the stage two-way conversations between NPR hosts and the audience in collaboration with the public radio Member Station community. This robust access to public service journalism makes NPR an indispensable resource in the media landscape.

About PBS NewsHour

PBS NewsHour is seen by over four million weekly viewers and is also available online, via public radio in select markets, and via podcast. PBS NewsHour is a production of NewsHour Productions LLC, a wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary of WETA Washington, D.C., in association with WNET in New York. Major funding for PBS NewsHour is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and public television viewers. Major corporate funding is provided by BAE Systems, BNSF and Lincoln Financial Group with additional support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Lemelson Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Friends of the NewsHour and others. More information on PBS NewsHour is available at www.pbs.org/newshour. On social media, visit NewsHour on Facebook or follow @NewsHour on Twitter.

Media Relations Contacts:

Isabel Lara, NPR, ilara@npr.org
Nick Massella, PBS NewsHour, nmassella@newshour.org