BBG networks engage audiences on social media during U.S. elections
Read about our networks’ unprecedented collaboration and targeted coverage during the election »
Innovative Digital and Social Delivery
In addition to comprehensive coverage on television and radio, BBG networks provided extensive reporting on digital and social platforms. Voice of America’s Persian service produced a significant amount of their election coverage digitally including more than 70 videos for Facebook, YouTube, Telegram and Instagram, including a live broadcast of Donald Trump’s victory speech which garnered over 67,000 views. A similar online broadcast of Hillary Clinton’s speech was watched more than 50,000 times. Several of VOA’s African services connected diaspora communities online during for election night parties. VOA Swahili, for example, went live on Facebook as members of the diaspora from East Africa watched the results come in from a Kenyan restaurant in Beltsville, Maryland.
Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa’s websites and social media platforms were actively covering the election with digital reporters stationed at local polling places, providing a variety multimedia coverage including tweets, videos, photos and interviews.
Also, VOA’s Student Union, a blog geared to international students, spent six hours on election night with students from Washington, D.C. universities, live-streaming their views on the Student Union site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Unprecedented Affiliate Coverage
Around the world, BBG programming was rebroadcast and simulcast on affiliate networks in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
VOA Spanish provided 151 live hits — a new record — to affiliates in 17 countries throughout the region. The service’s live 7-hour special election night show was rebroadcast in part or in full by dozens of TV and radio affiliates in Latin America, making it one of the main providers of content about U.S. elections in the region.
In Pakistan, four TV networks including Dawn and Express TV received special election coverage from VOA Urdu. While VOA Russian had requests from at least 80 television and radio stations in Russia, Ukraine, the Balkans, Georgia and Armenia.
VOA Burmese produced three 30-minute election specials for affiliate Skynet RV, the largest private satellite TV provider in Burma. While VOA Indonesia, reporting live from the Trump and Clinton campaign headquarters, provided a live report into CNN Indonesia, in addition to more than 50 live hits for television and radio stations across the country.
Egyptian television channel Cairo and the People simulcast Alhurra’s election night coverage to their audiences throughout the North African country.
