MyDebates
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced an Internet educational partnership with MySpace for the 2008 general election debates. A new website, MyDebates.org, was created to enhance the educational value of the televised debates, engage new audiences, and facilitate ongoing online conversation throughout the general election period.
MyDebates.org offered innovative tools and materials for users to make scorecards of issues important to them and to track these issues throughout the debates, using videotapes and transcripts in both real time and archival fashion. Citizens submitted questions to MyDebates.org for possible inclusion in the town meeting debate, and offered feedback on the new debate formats that explored a smaller number of topics for longer periods of time.
The project was designed after a thorough review of other initiatives to determine the most effective way for new media to intersect with the presidential debates. MyDebates.org featured video streaming, on-demand playback, and archival material.
August 6, 2008: COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES ANNOUNCES INTERNET EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MYSPACE