As the 2012 election cycle officially kicks off in Iowa, Hearst Television today announced an elevated commitment to political coverage at its 25 stations for the year.

In a statement, Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said the goal is to provide viewers with “thoughtful, in-depth and responsible” news coverage of the political process, “on-air, online and on-the-go.”

The project, “Commitment 2012,”  is a renewal of past election-year efforts made by Hearst’s stations. The cornerstone feature of the expanded election coverage is a pledge to cover political news for a minimum of 12 minutes per day in the month leading up to the primary or general election in each station’s respective market.

Hearst is also teaming up with PolitiFact, the fact-checking website of the Tampa Bay Times, for 2012. The Hearst Washington DC bureau will produce segments on the campaign using PolitiFact’s “Truth-O-Meter.”

The station group will also launch an election app, with customizable content based by market, this spring.