LEDs, giant screens and AI. The dazzling technology used by American broadcasters to cover the mid-term elections

It is evident just how blue the wave was that swept Donald Trump aside in the mid-term elections. Thanks to the votes, of course, but also thanks to the gleaming LED screens that every American broadcaster has equipped itself with to follow the vote count. Election coverage, after all, has always been a golden opportunity for US all-news channels to flex their muscles to the world and show off their cutting-edge technology. A New York decked out in red and blue provided the backdrop for NBC News’s ‘Election Headquarters’ and anchorman Tom Llamas’s enormous undulating table made of glass and illuminated LEDs. Less poetic than Fabio Fazio’s aquarium-table, but certainly practical for tracking the progress of the vote count second by second, given that the names of US states and victory announcements scroll across its surface. The real star of the show at NBC, however, is the dual-screen ‘Big Board’ – a colossal interactive touchscreen through which data analyst Steve Kornacki simultaneously displays results, voting trends, maps and scenarios regarding control of Congress. The success of this format is such that Kornacki, as well as having his own dedicated camera angle (the ‘Kornacki cam’, as it’s known), has over the years become something of an internet idol, so much so that he’s earned the nickname ‘Map Daddy’ and been voted one of the sexiest men in the world by People magazine.

The interactive whiteboard, by definition, however, is CNN’s. The 360-degree coverage of ‘Election Night in America’ resembles a go-kart circuit: every corner is packed with journalists, tables, desks, cameras and digital screens. Within this space, dozens of additional screens appear, showing journalists reporting live from various US states. The studio presenters analyse projections and voting trends by touching their ‘magic wall’ – an interactive multi-touch screen that has become the symbol of the network’s election nights since 2008. CNN introduced it after David Bohrman, former head of CNN’s Washington bureau, was impressed by its functionality and uses at a military intelligence trade fair, during a presentation given by its inventor, Jeff Han. The device has been expanded and updated over time: this year, in fact, it can show viewers whether the cost of petrol, rent and groceries has risen or fallen in each county and district, and reveal to what extent – and if at all – rising costs are influencing voters’ choices. Since 2008, journalist John King has been operating the screen, behind which he hides protein bars to help him get through the endless hours of live broadcasting.

However, American broadcasters are full of illuminated panels and sequins. ABC News boasts a redesigned election headquarters, equipped with two studios and over 151 million LED pixels, whilst NewsNation’s massive studio even projects data onto the floor via specially designed panels. Fox News is no exception, and for its coverage it has decided to invest in augmented reality, data-driven graphics and artificial intelligence on its app, where an election chatbot allows users to ask questions about the results and receive answers drawn directly from Fox News reports. However, while American audiences appreciate special effects, Italian election night tends to be more understated and less flashy: Enrico Mentana’s marathon broadcast attracted high viewing figures and a large audience even without dazzling LED screens. His tenure at La7 will officially come to an end on 23 December, and it remains to be seen whether his successor will choose to make use of a few glittering screens.