The Nation's Katrina Vanden Heuvel: Fact-Checking By Moderators At The Presidential Debates Is “Vital” 

Vanden Heuvel: “It's Not Left-Right. It Is Not About Liberalism. [Fact-Checking] Is About Journalism” 

From the September 25 edition of ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos

Video file

KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL: There's a democratic purpose to debates, to inform the voters. Call me crazy. I'm waiting for a big debate about serious issues. But I was struck by something Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager, said, George. It seems to me to say that the role of journalists is not to fact-check -- which I think will be a vital role in the debate tomorrow night -- is to say that journalists are stenographers, not those who hold the powerful accountable. Whoever they may be. I think we're at a place, a very dangerous place in our country where journalism -- it's a rewrite the rules election, it's a rewrite the rules moment for [the] election. We have talked about media malpractice. There's been some very good journalism in the last months, but it is vital tomorrow night that the moderator hold the candidates accountable, particularly Donald Trump. And it's not left-right. It is not about liberalism. It is about journalism. 

Previously

Journalists Call On Debate Moderators To Fact-Check Candidates

Matt Lauer’s Fact-Challenged Moderation Is A Cautionary Tale For Debate Moderators

Media Matters’ Do’s And Don’ts For Moderators And Media Covering The 2016 Presidential Debates