In Washington, he's known for knowing everything and everyone. Political operatives and journalists strain to divine his tastes and instincts. Mark Halperin, the political director of ABC News since 1997, both molds and reflects elite opinion with his pithy appearances on the network, and as overlord of "The Note," the daily online phenomenon that is to politics what Variety is to Hollywood.
Now, a new and surprising side of Harvard-grad Halperin can be seen at 12:30 p.m. today and other Fridays on ABC News Now, the network's 24/7 news channel, which is available via desktop computer, mobile phone or digital TV tier. Along with Katrina Szish, Halperin is the regular co-anchor of "Seen & Be Heard," a new, hour-long program from New York that invites viewers to send in opinions, videos and cell-phone images while the show is on the air, allowing high-tech feedback on a menu of topics that ranges in any given hour from the war on terror to Jennifer Aniston, gas prices to Vince Vaughn, Castro to movie reviews, the Middle East to celebrities misbehaving.
Michael Clemente, the executive producer of ABC Digital News, said the versatile Halperin is valuable because when viewers see him, they know something important is going on. The sets are spare -- a one-camera location with the show's logo, a director's chair in the middle of the ABCNews.com newsroom, and a set in the middle of the Los Angeles newsroom. Clemente, former senior producer of "World News Tonight" and "This Week," said the look sends a message. "It's simple, to the point and is supposed to help make viewers understand that their comments are heard, right in the middle of the newsroom," he said. "We hear you, we're listening and we're interested in you participating in the conversation about the news each day."