BBC Radio 5 live Election Story

BBC Radio 5 live Election Story

BBC Radio 5 live elect to work with magneticNorth to develop ‘Election Story’

Digital design company magneticNorth (mN) has worked with BBC Radio 5 live to develop an online project to tie in with the 2010 general election. ‘Election Story’ will use 5 live audio content of the key election issues being discussed by presenters and listeners on-air and online to visualise the most widely debated topics over the course of the election.

bbc.co.uk/5live/electionstory

Sitting on the 5 live’s website and launching when campaigning gets under way, the visualisation will use data from 5 live’s programmes and news links and its recently launched 5 live Connect service; which collates audience response via text messaging and social media feeds, including Twitter and Facebook, to produce an ever changing and dynamic visualisation that represents the mood of the nation.

Displayed as a series of words, the key issues such as childcare, employment and education with grow and change in size inline with the amount they are being discussed across the 5 live network by its presenters and its 6 million strong audience. The aim being to provide a real-time resource for the British public to see and hear how 5 live and its listenership are responding to the 2010 general election.

  • We’re delighted to be working with magneticNorth to create something innovative and different around the general election. This product will marry the two core strengths of 5 live – its presenters and its audience – to tell the story of the campaign as it develops and reflect the issues that matter to our listeners. Ahead of 5 live’s move to Salford Quays next year, it’s exciting to be working on this project with a company based in the North West.

    Brett Spencer, 5 live Interactive Editor

  • ight from the start both ourselves and the 5 live team wanted to create something that would tell the story of the election in a new way, that was both compelling to use and would, over time, become an important “document” to show how the election played out.

    Brendan Dawes, Creative Director, magneticNorth (mN)

magneticNorth (or mN to our friends) is a design company working out of the UK. We create commissioned client work for some of the world’s most interesting companies and brands including the BBC, Arup & Reuters.

Find out more about the work of magneticNorth at mNatwork.com