Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, and Paul Taylor, executive director of the Alliance for Better Campaigns, answer your questions. These are the people who may not seek out the traditional debates, but may catch five minutes at the end of a newscast or entertainment program.
Research shows that candidates actually stick to issues and substance during such segments.
And if candidates can only deliver canned messages, they ll suffer at the polls. The problem with a mandate for five minutes of air time every night is that it does not allow for the journalist's editorial discretion in how best to serve the audience. Voters tell us the most useful information they receive in making their decisions on how to vote comes from debates, interviews and news coverage. Five minutes of unmediated candidate speech is likely to result in bromides scripted by consultants. There's no opportunity to question the candidate, to clarify positions or to challenge misstatements of fact or erroneous charges.