Live on Twitter: Tonight’s #DemDebate

Saturday, 14 November 2015

CBS pioneered the concept of the televised presidential debate more than a half century ago with the historic Kennedy-Nixon debate. Tonight, in the second Democratic Presidential Debate of the 2016 campaign, Twitter has partnered with CBS News (@cbsnews) to again enrich the way that candidates communicate and voters participate in the election process.

As the candidates take the stage at Drake University (@DrakeUniversity) in Des Moines, Iowa, millions of people will turn to Twitter to join the live national conversation using the hashtag #DemDebate. We are working closely with CBS to make rich content and Twitter user perspectives a focal point of the television broadcast and CBSN live stream.

There are a few ways that CBS and Twitter will surface what Americans are talking about. The podiums will feature the candidates’ Twitter handles to encourage direct conversation.

Twitter insights will be integrated into the live digital feed of the debate on CBSN, CBS’ always-on digital network, and displayed by Postano in the spin room.

Before and during the broadcast, people across the country can contribute questions to the debate by Tweeting using #DemDebate and have a chance to see a potential future President address the issues they care about.

For a live, behind-the-scenes peek at all of the happenings at the debate and in the spin room, @gov will also broadcast using its newly launched Periscope account. @gov will provide Twitter’s perspective on all things relating to government and elections for this debate and beyond.

As with all televised events, Twitter is the perfect complement for those who want to follow along for live reactions from other viewers. Follow along with the #DemDebate conversation.

Even those who are not political insiders can have a rich experience on Twitter through Moments, a new way to effortlessly experience the world as it happens through Tweet highlights. To temporarily follow along with a curated selection of relevant accounts, people can simply hit the “Follow” button within the relevant Moment and they will not miss a Tweet.

All of the candidates from both sides of the aisle will also be sharing their perspectives with their followers, providing an unprecedented level of access to voters who want to to interact directly with them. Follow an official list of candidates here.

CBS News will broadcast the debate from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in conjunction with CBS affiliate KCCI-TV and the Des Moines Register. It will be carried live on the CBS Television Network (@CBSTweet), CBSN (@CBSNLive), and across all CBS News platforms at 9pm ET.