CNN’s Debate EKG—Bad Idea
Post-debate analysis undermines independent thought enough already. But in the name of expert opinion, we put up with it. However, CNN’s real-time debate EKG goes way overboard in swaying impressionable voters. It may be entertaining, but if CNN cares anything about independent critical judgment, they should pull the feature.
If you tuned in to CNN for Friday’s debate, an “audience reaction meter” cluttered the bottom of your screen. Focus groups representing Democrats, Republicans and Independents pressed one button when they heard something they liked, and another button when they heard something they didn’t. When all parties were neutral, the EKG’s blue, red and white lines (respectively) stayed in the center. When they chimed in, the lines drifted up or down with the responses.
As we might expect, Democrats affirmed most of Obama’s comments, Republicans applauded McCain, and Independents courted both candidates. I see no harm is doing such a poll and releasing the results afterwards. Perhaps some insights could be gleaned from that might benefit someone other than McCain and Obama’s campaign managers. Maybe.
But the way it stands, my worry is that displaying the real-time results on the screen prevents viewers from judging comments for themselves. I caught myself several times rethinking the strength or weakness of a point based on those little lines. I recognized the danger and tried to counter its effects, but even then, I couldn’t help but be somewhat drawn to what other people were thinking, which made it harder for me to independently reflect on the candidates’ arguments (or lack thereof). In lecturing the Mississippians in attendance to withhold their reactions, isn’t this exactly what what Jim Lehrer was trying to prevent?
Related complaints have been levied in past years against early poll number analyses on election day. The bigger worry there isn’t just that majority opinion will truncate thought, but that it will discourage voting altogether. If an election is unofficially called based on poll results in the east, voters in the west will be more likely to stay home. And this isn’t just an East/West coast problem, but a special problem for Florida. With two time zones, a hefty chunk of electoral college votes and extremely close races in the past few cycles, some have called for media outlets to withhold unofficial numbers until all polls are closed.
That’s an aspiration the major outlets might abide by, which will do some good. But numbers are sure to leak out on the web. However, unless a viewer determined to not think for themselves simultaneously watches a live EKG web feed and a live broadcast, the EKG problem is much easier to contain.
And though the threat here isn’t as immediate (effect is probably more stark on election night), it may be just as bad on whole. In most cases, we at least have a moment or two to think for ourselves—judge candidates’ responses based on our own lights. CNN’s debate EKG removes even that glimmer if independence and makes us further slaves to majority opinion. It’s no doubt entertaining, but an overall bad idea—one CNN should scrap.
—Matt Deaton—
