Debate audiences expect moderators to quickly address false statements during the event
A survey from Boston University’s College of Communication reveals that a significant majority, 69%, of people desire that moderators during CNN’s June 27 presidential debate actively point out candidates’ factual inaccuracies during the event. This sentiment is stronger among Democrats, with 81% in favor, compared to 67% of Republicans. However, some respondents remain indifferent or oppose the idea of real-time fact-checking, with 21% indifferent and 10% against it.
Tammy Vigil, a senior associate at the College of Communication, notes that while there is bipartisan support for moderators to identify errors, there seems to be a partisan divide on the perceived value of verifiable information. Traditionally, media organizations perform fact-checking separately, and moderators vary in their approach to correcting misinformation during debates.
Additionally, the survey found 68% of respondents support the idea that an independent, nonpartisan organization should oversee the design of presidential debates, rather than media organizations collaborating with campaign staffers. This stems from concerns about the impartiality and effectiveness of current debate setups managed by media entities and political campaigns.
A survey from Boston University’s College of Communication found that 69% of people want the moderators at CNN’s June 27 presidential debate to “point out factual inaccuracies in candidates’ comments during the debate.”
Of Democrats, 81% supported the measure compared to 67% of Republicans. Twenty-one percent of respondents were indifferent, along with 10% who disagreed that candidates should be fact-checked in real time.
“Support for moderators pointing out errors is bipartisan and relatively high across the board,” said Tammy Vigil, senior associate dean and associate professor at the College of Communication. “Still, the results imply that Democrats either may value verifiable information more than the Republican counterparts, or that they think live fact checking would significantly benefit their candidate or harm the opposition.”
Media organizations often fact-check candidates during the debate, offering readers or viewers the chance to see the truth regarding candidates’ claims. However, debate moderators don’t usually check candidates, and their involvement in the debate varies, with some interjecting at points and others leaving the candidates alone.
Other key findings from the survey include that 68% of respondents believe “an independent, nonpartisan organization should design the presidential debates instead of media organizations working with campaign staffers.” The Commission on Presidential Debates, which held the debates before media organizations convinced the campaigns to go in a different direction, aimed to be nonpartisan.
Seventy-eight percent of Republicans believed there should be a nonpartisan organization presiding over the debates, with proportions of Democrats, 69%, and independents, 63%, agreeing.
“This year, much like in 1960 and before, the presidential debates are not going to be governed by an outside body but designed by television networks and campaign staffers — something the survey suggests is not what members of either party want,” Vigil said. “People may simply be more comfortable with having an independent organization running the show since that is how things have worked for most of the history of debates. Or voters may not trust media outlets to run debates in a fashion that is balanced and informative.”
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Only 54% of respondents agreed they would watch the debate, with 23% indifferent and 24% saying they would not tune in.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not qualify for the debate. Viewers can watch former President Donald Trump face off against President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 27, on CNN, along with Fox News and ABC at 9 p.m. Eastern time. The next scheduled debate will be on Sept. 10 on ABC.
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