CBS States It Will Not Live Fact Check VP Debate

Join my live fact check of the VP debate Oct 1 at 9pm EST

On October 1, CBS is hosting the first (and only) VP debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance. Already, CBS has announced that it will not live fact check either candidate. This is a travesty for the American people and a failure of the purpose of media. But we are not helpless to the failures of Legacy Media. We can and must act. Here’s how. Let’s Address This.

Tim Walz (left) who previously served as a public school teacher and JD Vance (right), who previously referred to Trump as “America’s Hitler.”

I am reminded of the evergreen wisdom of Sally Claire, who said:

If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the fu**ing window and find out which is true."

Unfortunately, CBS has preemptively decided to absolve itself of the fundamental purpose of media—find out and report what is true. The AP reports, that “CBS said the onus will be on Vance and Walz to point out misstatements by the other, and that “the moderators will facilitate those opportunities” during rebuttal time.” It is no wonder why Gallup reports that public trust in media is at record lows. Much of that distrust has to do with media capitulating to the whims of corrupt politicians, rather than fulfilling their obligation to the American people of reporting facts.

CBS misses the point that the American people need a trusted third party to verify which politician is lying and which politician is truthful. That third party is supposed to be the journalists moderating the debate. Instead, this CBS decision to abscond from their responsibility comes after massive right wing backlash to the ABC moderated Harris/Trump debate. In that debate, ABC moderators live fact-checked Trump on his lies about immigration, immigrants eating dogs and cats, and on healthcare. ABC did the right thing in calling out these dangerous lies, and our country and democracy benefitted from upholding truth. But this is also why it is so perplexing that CBS is capitulating under right wing pressure.

In the Spring, during the disastrous CNN debate between Biden and Trump, I called out the utter failure of Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to uphold truth, writing:

Indeed, a free press is recognized as “the fourth estate” for a reason. And that reason is, to hold those in power accountable. If media fails (or refuses) to hold government accountable, then it fails to be a free press, and instead becomes state run propaganda. Adding to the irony of CBS refusing to live fact check the VP debate, is that CBS is simultaneously running a story on how other nations teach their youth how to identify hoaxes, scams, and propaganda as a civic skill.

Clearly, CBS understands the civic value in rebutting falsehood with truth, they just don’t see the value in actually practicing what they preach. But we cannot sit helpless at the failures of legacy media. We can and must uphold democracy ourselves, and that begins by not being bystanders.

This is one major reason why I’ve launched Let’s Address This, and why I will be broadcasting during the VP debate to live fact check. Yes, I will also provide a detailed written fact check post debate, but I also invite you subscribe and tune in for the live discussion and dialogue, and immediate post-debate live discussion. The late great John Lewis reminds us that democracy is not a state, it is an act. Let us take action and protect our democracy by upholding truth and justice above politics and partisanship. I hope you’ll consider subscribing and/or joining me Tuesday night, October 1 at 9pm EST.

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