BlazeTV's Media Summit Ushered in a New Era of Candidate Vetting

Last week’s first-ever BlazeTV Media Summit was good for both new media and American politics. It ushered in a welcome new-media way for voters to vet presidential candidates.

Interestingly, the one-on-one live-streamed conversations with former Fox News moderator Tucker Carlson also invoked memories of the first-ever televised presidential debate. That debate was between a sickly Richard M. Nixon and a vibrant John F. Kennedy, Jr.

It ushered in a new television era where voters could vet candidates by not just hearing them on the radio as they had for decades but by actually seeing them in real time. The Kennedy/Nixon debate changed the way all candidates campaigned after that because, for the first time, beyond being at a stump speech, a candidate’s physical appearance and nonverbal demeanor could be seen and judged by the voters.

At the time of the Kennedy/Nixon campaign, over 90% of U.S. households owned a television. These days, nearly every household has internet access or at least access to social media via a smartphone. While some portions of the live reach of the Summit weren’t as large due in part to subscription requirements, the overall reach of the Summit was larger than a mainstream media production due to its unfettered and uncensored format, streaming, and reposting on social media. Viewers were able to see each GOP candidate (minus the frontrunner Donald J. Trump) in a relaxed and more natural way than the scripted talking-points speeches or stilted and timed question-and-answer formats American voters are used to seeing.

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The natural conversations and Tucker’s ability to ask unlimited follow-up questions brought out the candidate’s differences in a way no stump speech could. The format highlighted their strengths and weaknesses in new ways as well, allowing the viewers to see how the candidates think on their feet. It became clear that not all of the candidates could effectively speak beyond their campaign talking points, while others certainly could, as Tucker questioned each of them on their past statements and positions.

The Blaze’s Summit also shifted the political discourse from mainstream media to new media by giving voters much deeper access and insight into how a candidate thinks and how he handles pressure on the fly. Each quality is needed to be not only an effective leader but the president of the United States.

We at PJ Media definitely hope this new media trend continues in American politics and beyond.

Watch the entire BlazeTV Media Summit below:

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