Mobile device technology has snuck its way into every aspect of modern life, including shopping, Web surfing and staying up-to-date on breaking news this election cycle. The New York Times has embraced this reality with their multi-platform Election 2012 app. While the app is really a platform to boost potential revenue streams for the iconic newspaper, the idea behind the app is pretty solid — that is, it brings election coverage from one central platform to mobile users all across the country. The good news is the app is free and available for both iOS- and Android-powered mobile devices.
Why another news app?
With hundreds of news apps in both iOS and Android markets, election followers and mobile development professionals will likely ask why the Times found it necessary to release yet another app. For starters, you have to assume they thought they could deliver a better product than news outlets like Fox News and The Washington Post. According to many mobile app design critics, Election 2012 has reached that mark. With real-time election updates and a wide range of other useful features, the app developers and designers have created a tool that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate. While other news organizations have released likeminded apps of a similar quality, the Times has gone above and beyond with the new election app.
Election 2012 app analysis
- News: It shouldn’t come as a surprise the Election 2012 app delivers the Times’ specialty: news. The app takes all the election coverage from the site and delivers it in a smartphone-friendly news feed. Interestingly enough, the app delivers coverage from both the Times and select news sources, giving users a larger spectrum of election coverage.
- Opinion: Op-ed junkies can access all of their favorite political and news commentators through the Election 2012 app, which is generally a special feed from the Times’ opinion pages. Readers can keep up with award-winning journalists without missing a beat.
- Multimedia: Any smartphone app wouldn’t be complete without a full-scale multimedia experience. Users can view interactive slideshows from political photographers and view high-quality videos from political reporters all along the campaign trail.
- Election Guide: The app also includes a detailed, virtual guidebook for the presidential election. The guide offers detailed information on current and past polling results, individual presidential candidate pages and election updates from individual states, allowing users to stay informed throughout the election process.
Beyond the utilitarian aspects of the Election 2012 app, it’s hard to ignore the fact that it serves as a tool that promotes democratic process. Now, citizens can easily participate in the election process on both a local and national level. We’ve seen time and time again how mobile technology has transformed nations overnight and have turned regular citizens into agents of political change. The New York Times app is merely a symbol of the visionaries that have gone before them.