PRESS RELEASE from Nantiona Public Radio

NPR NEWS “ELECTION 2008” TO OFFER LIVE DEBATE COVERAGE,
POST-DEBATE ANALYSIS, ON-AIR AND ONLINE

LIVE, CALL-IN “NATIONAL LISTENING PARTY”
FOLLOWS EACH DEBATE WITH AUDIENCES
IN D.C., ST. LOUIS, COLUMBUS AND BLACKSBURG

September 18, 2008; Washington, D.C. – NPR News will continue its extensive multimedia coverage of “Election 2008” with live broadcast and webcast coverage of the three Presidential debates on September 26, October 7 and October 15, and the Vice Presidential debate on October 2. NPR will offer uninterrupted coverage and analysis of each debate beginning at 9:00PM (ET), to be followed at 11:00PM (ET) by “NPR’s National Listening Party” – live, call-in specials anchored by NPR hosts and broadcast with audiences in four different cities.

NPR’s debate coverage will air on NPR Member stations across the country; for local stations and broadcast times, visit www.NPR.org/stations This coverage will also be streamed free and live at www.NPR.org

NPR’s coverage of the four debates will be anchored by Senior Correspondent Linda Wertheimer. Joining her for post-debate analysis and fact-checking will be Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving, reporters and editors from the NPR News “Election 2008” team and regular political contributors. NPR’s political blog, Vox Politics, will offer real-time analysis and fact-check the candidates’ statements: www.NPR.org/blogs/politics

NPR will follow each debate with a “National Listening Party” – live, one-hour call-in specials which will be broadcast from four different cities, with in-person audiences and questions from listeners. Michel Martin, host of Tell Me More, will moderate the first listening party on September 26 in Washington, D.C.; Neal Conan of Talk of the Nation anchors the remaining three specials from St. Louis, MO; Columbus, OH; and Blacksburg, VA. Martin and Conan will be joined by NPR hosts, reporters and editors. To request a seat in the audience for the St. Louis or Blacksburg broadcasts, please email: debates@npr.org

The listening parties will be broadcast from 11:00PM-12:00AM (ET), and give the audience and callers a chance to express their views on the issues and the candidates. Listeners may call into the program using the following lines: (800) 344-3893 (Republicans); (800) 344-3864 (Democrats); (800) 989-8255 (Independents). Questions may also be submitted through email at: talk@npr.org The schedule is as follows:

First Presidential Debate Call-In Special
September 26 in Washington, D.C.
Where: The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

Vice Presidential Debate Call-in Special
October 2 in St. Louis, MO, with KWMU
Where: University of Missouri - St. Louis. Specific location to be announced.

Second Presidential Debate Call-in Special
October 7 in Columbus, OH, with WOSU
Where: The COSI Center

Third Presidential Debate Call-in Special
October 15 in Blacksburg, VA, with WVTF
Where: Specific location to be announced.

NPR News’ debate coverage follows nearly 60 hours of live NPR News "Election 2008” special programming to date, including the most extensive convention coverage in the network’s history, live coverage of primaries and caucuses and nine call-in specials following key primary contests and the conventions. At NPR.org, there is a growing repository of original journalism, blogs, special series and reports about Election 2008. The NPR-The NewsHour Interactive Map – co-produced by NPR and PBS’ the Online NewsHour – provides in-depth election news and features aggregated from resources across public media, including extensive contributions from NPR and PBS Member stations. NPR News and NPR.org will continue to offer in-depth journalism and information about the presidential race through Election Day, with wall-to-wall coverage on November 4, 2008, to be announced.