As the Republican debate season continues with the November 10 event, candidates have positioned themselves to claim media bias if confronted with difficult or challenging questions. Candidates are quick to attack if the media blocks them from delivering their messages. Republican candidates objected to questions posed by CNBC moderators in the debate on October 28 and made demands for changes. (The Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2015, by Kurtis Lee)
Gene Policinski of the Newseum Institute, November 5, 2015, laments that the issue of media bias and credibility has become an issue in the debates. He places blame on journalists for not sticking to inquiries about positions or policy and the candidates themselves: “Moderators asking silly questions for ratings or candidates hijacking the process simply to shriek for attention or to shill for donor support is just wrong.”
A Washington Post editorial argued that changes that would hurt the integrity of the debates should be rejected. Candidates wanted to eliminate questions that were yes-no and those that required raised hands. The Post also objected to a ban on candidate-to-candidate questions and opposed the proposal that candidates control graphics and candidate bios flashed on screen. (The Washington Post, November 3, 2015, by Editorial Board)