During the election season, political debates provide voters with an opportunity to compare candidates’ main orientations and manifestos. They also highlight priorities of general, local, national and global interest, challenge influential figures, and promote pluralism of opinion and expression. In addition, they contribute to civic education, explaining how democracy works and why and how to vote.
Unlike paid media, which provides the voter with a carefully curated and scripted view of a candidate, a well-done debate allows voters to directly see and hear the candidates on the issues that are important to them. Debates offer a long-form opportunity for candidates to articulate their visions and platforms, defend their records and positions, and politely jab their opponents, all while remaining respectful and civil.
For politicians, they offer a chance to reach a broader audience than filtered through news media and are a valuable opportunity to correct misinformed or false statements. Whether they are effective depends on many factors including active moderation of questions from all interested parties, clear rules that ensure equal time for participations, and availability of the broadcast for outreach to prospective voters.
In an era when more people are getting their news through Instagram and TikTok than through traditional media, it is important to continue to develop programmes that encourage a high level of civic engagement, especially among younger audiences. Increasing the number of people exposed to debates will help to shape their attitudes toward democracy and hopefully lead to higher turnout in elections.