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My http://www.blogher.com/node/22465 ">fifteen minutes with Cooper left me buzzing. I wanted to go live in Anderson-world. It’s rare you’re in the presence of someone really imbued with the purpose of their work, but that’s how I felt after our talk. It made me want to work harder. Cooper is someone admits he works “all the time,†but what I emerged with from our brief interview was a sense of the importance of passion and social justice. (Ed note: the funny thing about CNN is that in the midst of its obsession with Paris Hilton and horses that fall off trails, and bland morning anchors, it maintains room for some iconoclasts, like Cooper and Lou Dobbs). And it’s ironic, because my primary experience of watching presidential candidates discourse has been one of numbness, process, talking points. So when Cooper told me the purpose of this new debate format is to “infuse questions with a new spirit and energy,†I believed him. I want to thank BlogHer readers for providing such good questions and helping to create a natural discussion.
I’ve summed up our discussions below, using quotes sparingly because I did not have a recorder and I don’t want to misquote. If I misconstrue, I apologize. In our brief discussions, three themes emerged:
[img_assist|fid=4377|thumb=1|alt=CNN/YouTube|caption=CNN/YouTube Debate logo]The Importance of “Bottom Up†Media
Anderson’s take on the YouTube debate is that it’s an unknown quantity for both the network and the candidates. Unlike most presidential debates or forums, in which a moderator or panel of journalists pose questions to the candidates, on Monday night YouTube is the panel, and voter generated content provides question materials. (To watch some or submit your own, click here). CNN’s Washington Bureau Chief David Bohrman said on air yesterday that there might be some tougher questions that challenge the candidates- implying other debates didn’t? I asked Anderson if that was true.
He said the thing that he thinks will be challenging is that not only are these questions a traditional moderator might not ask, but that the questions twist and turn. “You…think it’s going one way, then it turns around.†He noted candidates will have to listen to the whole stream, and not spout poll-tested talking points (well, at least not the whole time). He said he was struck by the quality of the questions and the diversity of those posing them (although early reports showed very few women submitted questions, he said he noted a strong diversity…I’m not buying it, but ok).
I then asked, is one of the goals of this debate to take candidates out of their comfort zone? Cooper said the major goal- - is to show a different side of candidates, and yes, to take people out of comfort zone. He said he thought the campaigns seemed “nervous…we’re all little nervous.†The debate should infused with “the spirit and energy of questions, the spirit of the voters’ questions should “infuse and inform entire debate.†Thankfully, Anderson admitted he didn’t know what this “infusion†actually meant, but I think I do.
I hope the debate echoes at least part of what we see online everyday, at BlogHer and on other sites: true discussions, questions off-book, questions that are the product of real curiosity.
Feely snarky, I asked Anderson if he wanted a seminal, “Boxers vs. briefs†pull quote to come from the CNN/YouTube debate Monday night.
He bristled and said, no, “it’s more serious than that…it’s a real bottom up process…†CNN is not “cherry picking†the questions they think are most appropriate. They’re going to pool the best ones and see what happens. He hopes it’s more of a “conversation.†And that he will facilitate dialogue by ensuring when a candidate responds, you can redirect the question to another.
I hope this isn’t the end of the feedback loop. If CNN wants to create a real conversation, they need to offer viewers a place to retort. Anderson did mention that many of the campaigns are preparing videos- but I think the YouTube channel devoted to discussion of the debate—CitizenTube—should have a stronger role and a more publicized “retorting†ability for voters.
[img_assist|fid=4377|thumb=1|alt=CNN/YouTube|caption=CNN/YouTube Debate logo]
Responsibility
The best thing about talking to Cooper was his complete sense of responsibility and respect for both his interview subjects and his audience. I asked him my favorite question, which was from our NGO and Social Change editor Britt Bravo:
She asked: how does he beat burn out and compassion fatigue?
He took a minute to think. He said burnout
