Microsoft Launches MSN Political Pulse to Bridge Gap Between Citizens and Government

Microsoft Corp. announced the launch of Political Pulse, a new politics channel on the MSN network of Internet services, designed to bring together the web's best political content and deliver comprehensive, original news and commentary from MSNBC and Slate.com. The initiative aims to empower citizens to be better informed and more politically active, supporting the MSN vision of the Everyday Web.

Key Takeaways:

• MSN Political Pulse is a new politics channel on the MSN network, bringing together the web's best political content and delivering comprehensive, original news and commentary from MSNBC and Slate.com.
• The channel will provide in-depth coverage and interactive services to help people stay informed and engaged throughout the elections.
• The first live interactive State of the Union address will be broadcast on Jan. 27, allowing subscribers of the WebTV Plus Interactive service to participate in the nation's public policy dialogue.
• Throughout the speech and the subsequent Republican response, viewers will be able to easily access additional information on the upcoming agendas of the White House and Republican congressional leaders.
• Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, R-Il, have expressed their support for the initiative, recognizing its potential to empower citizens and expand the political dialogue between citizens and their government.
• The MSN Political Pulse channel will be updated several times a day, providing the latest-breaking political news as it happens.
• Visitors can access polling information, look up their local representatives, find out to whom their friends and neighbors are making political donations, track candidates' position papers, and link to a variety of special-interest political Web sites.
• The site has enough political trivia to satisfy the most hard-core political junkie with links to polls, pundits, political cartoons and more.

Statistics:

• The live interactive State of the Union address on Jan. 27 will utilize the WebTV Plus Interactive service to provide a unique viewing experience for thousands of television viewers.
• Throughout the speech, special buttons will appear on the television screens of WebTV Plus Interactive service subscribers, enabling viewers to instantly explore specific, in-depth policy initiatives and vote in polls with a simple click of the remote.
• Several hundred thousand television viewers will be able to instantly learn more about the policy initiatives the president describes in his address, making it a unique viewing experience.

Sources:

• Microsoft Corp. (news article)
• MSNBC (online news)
• Slate.com (online news)
• Microsoft's official website (MSN.com)