CBS News to air QR code fact-check feature during vice presidential debate

Karah Rucker

CBS NEWS IS SET TO HOST A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TUESDAY – FEATURING OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE AND MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ. 

IN A FIRST FOR THE NETWORK, THEY’LL BE INCORPORATING A NEW INTERACTIVE ELEMENT TO GIVE VIEWERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK OUT MORE CONTEXT TO THE CANDIDATES’ ANSWERS.DURING THE BROADCAST, VIEWERS WHO WATCH THE DEBATE ON CBS WILL SEE A QR CODE ON THEIR SCREENS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. 

WHEN SCANNED WITH A SMARTPHONE, THIS CODE WILL DIRECT THEM TO THE CBS NEWS WEBSITE, WHERE A TEAM OF ABOUT 20 JOURNALISTS WILL PROVIDE WHAT THE NETWORK CALLS “REAL-TIME FACT-CHECKS” OF THE CANDIDATES’ STATEMENTS.
CBS’S SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR STANDARDS AND PRACTICES SHARED THE INTENTION BEHIND THIS FEATURE.

SAYING –
“THE IDEA IS TO GIVE PEOPLE THAT SECOND-SCREEN EXPERIENCE. THE AUDIENCE CAN GET THE TAKEAWAY THEY NEED IN A RESPONSIBLE AND SMART WAY.”WHILE CBS SAYS IT WILL FOCUS ON ENCOURAGING EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES, MODERATORS NORAH O’DONNELL AND MARGARET BRENNAN WILL NOT BE FACT-CHECKING DURING THE DEBATE ACCORDING TO THE NETWORK.

CNN REFRAINED FROM FACT-CHECKING IN THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN BIDEN AND TRUMP.

AND ABC MODERATORS FACT-CHECKED THE DEBATE BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP.

CNN WAS LARGELY CRITICIZED BY THE LEFT FOR NOT FACT-CHECKING DONALD TRUMP.

AND ABC WAS LARGELY CRITICIZED BY THE RIGHT FOR ITS SELECTIVE FACT-CHECKS.

A CHANGE IN THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE COMPARED TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ONES.
BOTH CAMPAIGNS HAVE AGREED TO KEEP THE MICROPHONES LIVE THROUGHOUT THE EVENT – RATHER THAN MUTED DURING THE OTHER CANDIDATE’S TURN TO SPEAK. 

YOU CAN CATCH THE DEBATE STARTING AT 9 P.M. EASTERN ON CBS. 

OTHER MAJOR NETWORKS WILL SIMULCAST THE EVENT, BUT FACT-CHECK QR CODE FEATURE WILL BE SEEN ONLY ON CBS.

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.

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