With the 2024 elections heating up, the hottest ticket in town is surely going to be the vice presidential debate between Democratic nominee Gov. Tim Walz and Republican nominee Sen. JD Vance. This event will be moderated by two accomplished CBS News journalists: Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell. Both women bring an enormous amount of experience in political reporting and broadcasting to bear on the task at hand.
Margaret Brennan: The voice of authority in political journalism
Margaret Brennan was born on March 26, 1980, in Stamford, Connecticut. Brennan graduated with highest distinction from the University of Virginia in 2002, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in foreign affairs and Middle Eastern studies, along with a minor in Arabic. Her academic background laid a firm foundation for her future endeavors within journalism and foreign affairs.
Career highlights of Magret Brennan
Brennan’s career started with CNBC, where she had several contributions to NBC News programs before shifting to Bloomberg Television. She anchored the weekday show InBusiness with Margaret Brennan. In 2012, she joined CBS News as its White House correspondent until becoming moderator for Face the Nation.
As the chief foreign affairs correspondent, her beat has encompassed some very critical events regarding U.S. foreign policy and international crises worldwide. Brennan is known for sharp questioning and interchange with high-profile political figures that have her voice ringing in the political discourse.
Notable achievements of Magret Brennan
During her time, Brennan has accrued several awards touching on her reporting. She serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has acquired numerous awards out of her commitment to journalism. This attribute makes her more suitably qualified to do an extensive report on the Middle East because of her fluency in Arabic.
Norah O’Donnell: The esteemed veteran journalist with an edge in deep political matter
Norah O’Donnell was born on January 23, 1974, and in no time turned into one of the most recognizable faces in American journalism. She studied at Georgetown University, where she met her husband, Geoff Tracy. O’Donnell worked as a staff writer for Roll Call early in her career, where she extensively covered Congress.
Career highlights of Norah O’Donnell
Prior to joining CBS News, O’Donnell had a career that spanned over two decades and involved significant roles at NBC News. She would work at CBS as the chief White House correspondent before later becoming the anchor of CBS Evening News. Her experience with six presidential elections speaks volumes about her eloquence in the nuances of American politics.
Besides anchoring news, she is a contributing correspondent to 60 Minutes. She has sat down with Pope Francis, travelled to various countries in the world and conducted interviews with world leaders.
Notable achievements of Norah O’Donnell
Her reporting has accordingly made her win several Emmy Awards, including in the category of breaking news such as during the September 11 attacks. She won several awards including the Sigma Delta Chi Award that recognized excellence in presidential news coverage.
Debate moderators’ role in the Walz-Vance debate
The upcoming debate is important, not only for the candidates, but also for the voters, since many of them seek clarity on the positions each candidate has taken. Brennan and O’Donnell will be moderating the discussion so that each candidate can speak without discrimination, under very strict rules that are attached to the debate process itself.
- Format: The debate will run 90 minutes with no live audience. Each candidate will have allocated blocks of time for questions and answers.
- Questioning style: The expectation is that both hosts utilize their extensive background in political journalism to pose pointed, interrogative questions to candidates regarding their policies and positions.
- Fact-checking: Although CBS News will offer real-time fact-checking on its platforms, the moderators do not plan to interject with corrections during the debate.
