Arizona’s Clean Elections exceeded reach expectations of primary debate programming
Jul 29, 2024, 4:25 AM
Clean Elections surpassed reach expectations for its primary debate series, setting a historic precedent. (Screenshot/Arizona Media Association YouTube)
(Screenshot/Arizona Media Association YouTube)
PHOENIX — Clean Elections, a non-partisan elections commission, announced last week its primary debate series reached more Arizonans than any other previous year.
The debates, which all are leading up to the state’s primary elections on July 30, were disseminated live through TV, radio and print/digital outlets while also made available on the commission’s YouTube channel.
As of July 23, the content was viewed a total of 408.1 hours, or about 16 days, for an average of 10 minutes watched by each consumer, a press release said. Local media brands published primary debate-related content 529 times and each debate averaged 41 media partners handling the coverage.
A rotating moderator panel was introduced for the first time in 2024, as four long-time journalists were selected to conduct the debates: Steve Goldstein, Richard Ruelas, Jim Nintzel and Mary Rabago.
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“We are very pleased with the impact of our new debates format. The content reached more Arizona voters than ever in the history of our debates,” Clean Elections Chair Mark Kimble said in a press release. “Now voters can refer to the recordings as they make their final choices on their primary ballot on July 30.”
Clean Elections will help spearhead an estimated 30 political debates prior to the Nov. 5 general election. The ongoing debate series features candidates vying for election in federal, state and county-level races, with general election debates beginning in September.
Any federal or statewide debates are archived on the Arizona Media Association YouTube channel. All archived and future debates include Spanish audio translation and an American Sign Language interpreter in the lower left portion of the video screen.
“There is no doubt that these are the best non-partisan candidate debates in the state, they were far-reaching and the production caliber reached new levels. We look forward to delivering the same experience for the general election,” Clean Elections Voter Education Director Gina Roberts said in a press release.
