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On the other hand, Harris was allowed to get away with several falsehoods during the ABC debate, including the inaccurate claim that police officers were killed on January 6. Harris also repeated the debunked “very fine people” hoax and made misleading statements about her past political positions. These discrepancies sparked outrage, particularly among conservative commentators who criticized the debate for being overtly biased.
Learning from ABC’s mistakes, CBS News has taken a different approach for next Tuesday’s debate, which will be held at 9 p.m. Eastern Time in CBS studios. The network announced that moderators Norah O’Donnell, the outgoing anchor of “CBS Evening News,” and Margaret Brennan, host of “Face the Nation,” will not engage in live fact-checking during the event. Instead, candidates will be responsible for challenging each other’s claims during rebuttal periods.
In a statement released on Friday, CBS News explained, “The onus will be on Vance and Walz to issue corrections as they see fit. The network added that moderators will facilitate those opportunities during rebuttal time.” This decision leaves it up to the candidates to hold each other accountable rather than relying on moderators to interject with their own interpretations of the facts.
Despite the absence of live fact-checking, CBS isn’t entirely abandoning its efforts to ensure accurate reporting. The network’s “misinformation unit” will provide real-time updates and fact checks via blogging and social media throughout the debate. This approach allows viewers to stay informed without the debate itself being interrupted by moderators’ fact-checks.
Additionally, CBS News has opted not to implement microphone controls for the candidates during the debate. This contrasts with other debates, where candidates’ mics have been muted while their opponents speak. With this rule in place, viewers can expect more spontaneous and direct exchanges between Vance and Walz. However, CBS has stated that they reserve the right to shut off a “hot mic” if the situation requires it.
The upcoming vice presidential debate also differs from the format of earlier presidential debates. Unlike CNN’s June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, which was praised for its hands-off moderation, this event has been crafted to give the candidates more leeway to challenge each other.
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CBS’s strategy of steering away from live fact-checking comes as no surprise after ABC’s highly criticized handling of the Trump-Harris debate. By allowing the candidates themselves to issue corrections, CBS hopes to sidestep the pitfalls of moderator bias while still providing viewers with the means to verify information through external channels.
With both candidates getting two minutes for closing statements, a final showdown is expected as Vance, who won a virtual coin toss, will deliver his closing remarks first. This approach will likely provide a more balanced platform for viewers to hear unfiltered arguments from both vice-presidential hopefuls.
As the political world waits for Tuesday night’s debate, CBS News’s decision to step back from live fact-checking is already generating attention. Whether this approach will prove effective in avoiding the controversies of earlier debates remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the network is making a conscious effort to restore trust in the moderation process.
