UW law professor Ann Althouse, nationally known for her blog www.althouse.blogspot.com, will be participating in a special election blogfest organized by CNN to cover the upcoming U.S. elections. CNN is bringing a couple dozen bloggers to Washington to blog about the election returns this Tuesday night, November 7.

CNN is trying to incorporate bloggers directly into its coverage of next week's midterm elections by inviting them to an "E-lection Nite Blog Party," an event aimed at corralling some of the top online opinion makers in one place to provide instant reaction as the results come in.

The cable news network plans to host more than two dozen bloggers from across the political spectrum — including sites like RedState and Daily Kos — at a Washington Internet lounge where they can monitor the election returns on a slew of flat-screen televisions.

CNN Internet reporters Jacki Schechner and Abbi Tatton have been assigned to cover the gathering and provide regular updates on the air about the topics that are generating the most chatter.

"Bloggers are leading the conversation," said David Bohrman, CNN's Washington bureau chief. "You could argue that most of the political dialogue in this country is happening online, so if you don't incorporate that into your coverage, you're missing a major element."

Subscribers to CNN Pipeline, the network's broadband service, will be able to monitor the happenings at the blog party through one of the online channels, which will be dedicated exclusively to footage from the event.  Day passes will be available for the Pipeline for 99 cents.

For more on this event, see

www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/cl-et-news30oct30,1,4936146.story .

Submitted by on November 8, 2006

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