• New York Times, Monday, November 26, 2007 11:15 AM

The social network Facebook may be turning itself into something of a media hub--having struck a partnership with ABC News that allows Facebook users to electronically follow political news through a new "U.S. politics" category that allows users to follow ABC reporters, view reports and video and participate in polls and debates. The two companies also announced that they would be jointly sponsoring the upcoming Democratic and Republican presidential debates in New Hampshire.

The New York Times says the partnership is yet another attempt by media companies to take advantage of Facebook's user base, which is now 56 million and growing. Companies like the Times, the Washington Post and other newspapers and Web publishers have produced special pages for following politics on Facebook, but ABC's will be the broadest initiative yet. For example, users will now be able to read reporters' stories and respond privately or publicly on their profiles, instead of posting to a blog or emailing them. According to the report, no money changed hands in the deal.

"There are debates going on at all times within Facebook," David Westin, the president of ABC News, said. "This allows us to participate in those debates, both by providing information and by learning from the users."

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