Elections 2012 and London Olympics: Facebook, CNN, and NBC Partnerships Will Change The Face of Media

The London 2012 Olympics just got more exciting, as it introduced a new partnership with Facebook. The long awaited games will not only be shown on television, but will also be promoted all over Facebook with things like a “Facebook Talk Meter,” and “exclusive content” for fans only. This will help create a more interactive experience for followers of the Olympic Games worldwide.

The news also come only days after CNN and Facebook announced their partnership for the coverage of the 2012 elections. This partnership will include things like: an “I’m Voting” Facebook App, reports on discussions about each candidate on Facebook, and "Facebook Surveys." CNN will use this data to give state-by-state analysis as well.

Facebook has finally crossed the line from being a social media titan, to an all-powerful force in new and old media. Facebook’s partnership with one of the Big Three television networks show the full capacity of what Facebook can do for media giants. Facebook, which only had about 100 million users during the 2008 Olympics, now has 900 million users and could possibly introduce a completely new audience to the Olympic Games. People will be able to discuss, share, and receive updates on all the live action on the television screen as it is occurring. It creates a new level of involvement that hasn’t been seen in the Olympics before and will surely change how the Olympic Games are viewed from now on.

On the other side of the spectrum, Facebook’s partnership with CNN, “America’s most trusted source of news” shows how much Facebook can help to influence elections. Engaging a larger audience to speak up on issues they feel strongly about, candidates they want to endorse, and how they will vote will indefinitely change presidential elections. This partnership has the potential to make users who would otherwise not vote become more aware of the elections. This could also lead to greater voter turnout, especially in the 18-24 age group. 

Facebook will be assisting in covering the largest sporting event and the most important political event of 2012. Facebook users everywhere have to admire how effectively Facebook has helped spread messages in the past, like with the KONY 2012 video, which spread like wildfire a few months ago. Both the Olympics and the elections will undeniably be discussed on greater scales because of Facebook. This seems like the first of many Facebook partnerships to come.