'Battleground' to take a local-first approach to covering swing states

"Battleground" program to focus on key states in 2024 election

S.E. Cupp, the longtime political analyst and CNN contributor, will have more to say during the run-up to the 2024 presidential election on a new roundtable program for Fox-owned TV stations.

A few states may well settle the year’s presidential election, so all eyes will be on these battleground states as November nears.

No one knows those states better than the journalists who live there and report from their own communities every day. That’s why FOX First Run is proud to announce "Battleground" – a new digital initiative that will take a local-first approach to covering the swing states and their collective 93 electoral votes: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

"All politics is local"

Battleground will be produced in partnership with local radio stations, newspapers, and FOX-owned local stations FOX 10 Phoenix, FOX 5 Atlanta, FOX 2 Detroit, FOX 29 Philadelphia, FOX 6 Milwaukee and CW 18 in Charlotte.

"Our offering is unique in that local media, the newspapers, television, and radio stations, are ingrained in these communities and thus, can provide a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how voters will decide this election in each of those states," explained Stephen Brown, executive vice president of programming and development for FOX Television Stations and FOX First Run.

Battleground kicks off today as a newsletter. The national broadcast will premiere June 10 with a half-hour weekly show, expanding to five days a week in August.

Who’s involved?

At the center of it all will be experienced anchor, political commentator, and nationally syndicated columnist S.E. Cupp. The Cornell University graduate still serves as an advisory member for their Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, and she earned a master's degree from New York University.

'Battleground' host S.E. Cupp

"All politics is local," she offered. "These seven swing states have crucial stories to tell, and our fantastic team of reporters and producers will bring these local conversations to a national audience in a unique and rigorous manner, from right where it’s happening – on the ground."

Some of the top local FOX political correspondents will be reporting and contributing from their local markets including:

Jeff Cole and Shiba Russell from FOX 29 in Philadelphia
Russ Spencer from FOX 5 in Atlanta
John Hook, Ellen McNamara, and Steve Nielsen from FOX 10 Phoenix
Jason Calvi from FOX 6 in Milwaukee

"By harnessing the power of the dedicated and talented local journalists in each of these critical swing states, Battleground will allow us the distinct opportunity to shine a light on the particular people, places, and issues that will ultimately decide the 2024 election," added executive producer Neal Kendall.