CQ Roll Call Expands Its Contribution to The Economist Group by 14 Percent

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CQ Roll Call today announced that it grew its contribution to The Economist Group by 14 percent this year, largely due to its first-class coverage of a bitterly divided Congress along with careful and strategic management of resources.

"We focused on two areas during the year: improving the efficiency of our Washington operation; and investing to maintain our position as the most trusted and comprehensive source for those whose jobs depend on knowing the inner workings of the federal and state legislatures," said Paul McHale, President of CQ Roll Call.

CQ.com achieved solid growth in reader engagement, with a 3.5 percent year over year increase in traffic to 1.6 million site visits. The day the federal budget deal was unveiled, CQ.com had its highest number of single-day unique page views in more than six years, a testament to the fact that CQ's clients rely heavily on its in-depth, unbiased coverage in an increasingly polarized political environment.

Additionally, and in response to its clients' needs, CQ launched Senate Action Reports (SAR), a new website and newsletter that complements the news service's venerable House Action Reports (HAR). The CQ news service hired Ed Pesce, a 26-year veteran of the Senate Press Gallery, to drive its coverage. Both SAR and HAR products provide insider information about the personalities and politics that drive the legislative business in Washington. CQ News revamped its weekly magazine and expanded its activities in events, e-books and podcasts, drawing sponsorship revenue and bringing its analysis to broader audiences.

The news service also delivered significant scoops for its clients in the past year, revealing the Confederate flag amendment that essentially halted the federal budget process, as well as several news stories that revealed decisions on government spending that beat the competition by days.

As a further testament to CQ's authoritative position in DC, other news organizations such as Thomson Reuters partner with CQ and in fact have expanded that relationship by increasing the volume of content delivered by extending distribution rights into new markets.

Roll Call embarked on the presidential election year with a newly designed website and a stronger bench of contributors and journalists. Product innovation efforts included the creation of a more mobile-friendly platform with faster load times and an expanded variety of storytelling tools, including video and podcasts. Better video content has helped Roll Call grow its off-platform social-media reach, with engagement on Facebook for its content increasing by 400% since January.

"Investments in Roll Call are critical because we know its reporting can reach beyond Washington," said David Ellis, Chief Content Office of Roll Call.  "To that end, large corporations such as Amazon and Procter & Gamble are partnering with us at the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions this summer."

On the advertising and sponsorship front, performance was good for Washington political-advocacy advertising and sponsorship sales.  There was an increase in non-print sales, bringing them to 38% of Roll Call's total sales.

"With this strong year complete, we will continue to focus on solidifying our position as Washington's premier source for those who need to know how Congress, the federal government and, increasingly, state and local lawmakers work," added McHale.  "Our customers need our superior insight and information to do their jobs. We will increase investment to ensure that our customers get the information they want when they want it and in whatever format is right for them."

About CQ Roll Call

CQ Roll Call provides intelligence and grassroots advocacy resources for government and political professionals. As the publisher of CQ.com, CQ Weekly, Roll Call and several topic-specific verticals, it is the premier source of timely, objective news and analysis on government and electoral politics. CQ Roll Call has won more Dirksen Awards for 'Distinguished Reporting of Congress' than any other organization, and for 70 years we have been committed to providing nonpartisan insights and in-depth analysis on Congress and the policy-making process. The company's products and services cover all aspects of legislative, government and electoral processes, giving clients actionable information and custom tools to maximize their influence.

SOURCE CQ Roll Call