TV debates as slingshots of lies Lessons from German and US election campaigns
By Tanjev Schultz | TV debates like the presidential debates in the United States are prominent events in election campaigns. Their rules and effects have been the subject of public and academic discussions for decades. Against this background, this article presents observations and lessons learned from the most recent TV debates in Germany and the United States. It suggests new formats and structures for such programs and uses examples to highlight the dangers that political populism and extremism pose to the seriousness and substance of TV debates.