Not Just a Stunt: CNN/YouTube Debate Marks Media Shift
Prior to its airing on July 23, the heavily-touted CNN/YouTube Democratic debate was expected to be a softly lobbed attempt at using YouTube magic to make debates hipster-chic. The biggest complaint about the effort stemmed from the fact that CNN handpicked which questions from the pool of 3,000 submissions would be used -- instead of allowing users to vote on their favorites. CNN defended the decision, saying that the "gatekeeper" method, while not perfect, would prevent candidates from trying to stack the vote and would prevent the debate from becoming a "circus."
In spite of widespread reservations, the debate that transpired has been largely lauded as a success, primarily for its ability to bring new voices into the process. The 39 -- sometimes funny, sometimes quirky, and often touching -- video questions that CNN selected gave a "town hall" feel to the debate that served to democratize it. (Not everyone can afford a plane ticket to attend a debate and pose questions, but many can come up with the technology necessary to create and upload a video on YouTube.)
The debate marked a distinct shift in the media equation, with technology giving average citizens a very direct link to their policy makers, taking the filter of the journalist middleman out of the picture altogether in the process.
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