Election season is in full swing!
With our two 2016 major-party candidates gearing up for debates, we’re excited to announce the newest venture between PBS NewsHour and Microsoft: WatchTheDebates.org, expanding on an existing civic education partnership between PBS and the Commission on Presidential Debates. This interactive civic education and voter engagement site provides access to every general election debate since 1960, allowing visitors ability to screen entire debates and highlights, track how specific issues over the years, and interact with the content using online voting tools from Microsoft Pulse.
Since the first televised presidential debate in 1960, these events have been integral to the American democratic process and the leading forum for serious discussion of current affairs. Today, for the first time, these debates are being organized and made available in one place for the American public in an online forum.
On WatchTheDebates.org, users can access various content and engagement tools, including:
- Livestreams of the four 2016 general election debates
- Full debate footage from 39 previously broadcast debates
- Online rating and audience engagement of previous & this year’s debates, powered by Microsoft Pulse
- Highlight reels of memorable moments from all televised debates between 1960-2016
- Issue-based reels looking at the evolution of key policy and political issues through the years
Experience WatchTheDebates yourself — head to watchthedebates.org.