ABS-CBN is the most credible TV network in giving election coverage according to Pulse Asia survey.

Creating an army of citizen journalists, breaking on-the-edge news reports, and courageously setting the news agenda best define ABS-CBN’s year-long election coverage that goes high-gear on Monday (May 10) with technological innovations that will change the way elections are covered in the country.

ABS-CBN will be using what is probably the biggest touch screen television ever used on Philippine TV news and a new broadcast technology called “augmented reality,” which combines computer-generated imagery with live video in real time, to report on the country’s first computerized polls that will determine the next leaders of the nation.

Using the touch screen TV, ABS-CBN anchors can easily pull up information on the candidates and comments from social media networks while a report progresses. Augmented reality, meanwhile, places an anchor in a virtual environment where he or she can interact with computer graphics that show the latest updates on the elections.

Aside from pioneering the hi-tech coverage of the elections, ABS-CBN has also scored several firsts in the past 12 months since it launched the election advocacy “Boto Mo, i-Patrol Mo: Ako ang Simula.”

ABS-CBN was the first to create a movement of citizen journalists the first to organize debates that used new media to engage viewers via Twitter and Facebook, the first to measure audience instant reactions during debates via WARS, and the first to hold an election concert that gathered its thousands of citizen patrollers.

Apart from courageous and ground-breaking news stories, ABS-CBN has successfully blended old and new media in engaging audiences, get instant feedbacks, and solicit questions for candidates guesting in their various news and talk programs.

ABS-CBN has more than 81,000 active boto patrollers, 67,720 fans on Facebook and some 11,861 followers on Twitter as of 6 May 2010, all who are ready to share information on the elections from their vicinities.

When it comes to election coverage, more Filipinos (63%) believe ABS-CBN is the most credible TV network in covering the election campaign as shown in a Pulse Asia nationwide survey conducted between 21-25 February 2010. The figure is way higher than compeition’s 55%.

More people switch to ABS-CBN’s flagship news program “TV Patrol World” when it comes to news. TVP even climbed to 2nd spot following Agua Bendita last week among all TV programs, according to TNS national ratings. “TV Patrol World” not only won nationally, but it aslo ruled in Mega Manila with a rating of 25.8% vs. competition’s 20.6% last Thursday.

ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs head Maria Ressa said hundreds of reporters in all ABS-CBN media platforms (television, radio, cable TV, online) will be deployed in different areas in the country to give situationers and updates.

They lead ABS-CBN’s army of change composed of professional and citizen journalists, while celebrities like Donita Rose, Phoem Barranda, and Janus Del Prado, rock stars Ney Dimaculangan of 6cyclemind and Kean Cipriano of CallaLily will join as celebrity patrollers.

Working hand-in-hand with ABS-CBN for this monumental coverage are cause partners Globe Telecommunications, Bayan Communications, STI, The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Business World, Pulse Asia, University of the Philippines School of Economics, YouthVote Philippines, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the Commission on Elections, and the National Movement for Free Elections.

Google, Map Central, REACT, Kontra-Daya, and Life Haven have also joined the cause to boost the online coverage of ABS-CBN Halalan 2010.