ABC News under scanner ahead of Trump-Harris debate, network hasn’t committed to…

ABC News, which will oversee nearly every aspect of the debate, from camera angles to moderator control, is already facing criticism from both sides. Harris’s aides have expressed concerns about debate rules, claiming some guidelines are unfavourable to the vice president. Meanwhile, Trump has launched verbal attacks on ABC, saying: “I think they’re the worst. They’re the nastiest. They’re as bad as you can be.”

Trump even has called ABC News “very hostile territory” and accused the network of unfairly favouring Harris. Both candidates, however, ultimately agreed to participate in the debate.

ALSO READ| Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump: Where exactly they stand before their first Presidential debate

Fact-checking not a focus for ABC moderators in debate

ABC News is approaching this task with an emphasis on neutrality and a focus on facilitating the debate. “I don’t think anything that is said about us or about the debate changes our role or our mission,” Rick Klein, ABC’s political director, told The New York Times.

“Our job is to meet the moment, and it’s a huge moment and a humbling moment. Nothing that’s said about us or anyone else matters once the light goes on and the cameras are rolling.”

The role of fact-checking during the debate has been a point of contention. Klein clarified that the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, will not be committed to fact-checking every statement made by the candidates in “real-time.”

“I don’t think it’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ proposition,” Klein said. “We’re not making a commitment to fact-check everything, or fact-check nothing, in either direction.”

“We’re there to keep a conversation going, and to facilitate a good solid debate, and that entails a lot of things in terms of asking questions, moving the conversation along, making sure that it’s civilized,” he added.

ALSO READ| Women give Kamala Harris slight edge over Donald Trump in new poll as they head into first presidential debate

Muir and Davis, both experienced journalists and moderators, are preparing for the possibility of on-air confrontations, especially given Trump’s recent comments.

Debra OConnell, Disney’s president of its news group and networks expressed, “We have an incredible team, and I feel very confident in our moderators.”