These 5 Programs Prove Intellectual Debate Isn't Dead

JOE MILHOLLAND

August 15, 2015

Recently, political discussions relegated to cable news anchors and Twitter feeds have come to share a common criticism of lacking intelligent, nuanced debate. There's even a new documentary, "Best of Enemies," that looks back at the 1968 TV debates between William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal during the Democratic and Republican conventions with a nostalgic eye. The end of the film laments the current state of the news, which mimics the combativeness of the Buckley-Vidal debates without achieving the same intellectual quality.

While the film did a fine job — balancing the events of the time and the personalities of the two debaters — it's unfair to dismiss the (albeit rare) high-quality political back-and-forth of today, even if without the once-in-a-generation magical reputation of the Buckley-Vidal debates.

If you're hungry for arguments more comprehensive than what's offered at presidential debates, feast on one of these five programs:

1. Intelligence Squared U.S.

Intelligence Squared U.S. is a non-profit organization that has been hosting debates about topical issues with major figures since 2006. Their debates usually last around two hours and feature 2 to 3 panelists in support of a certain proposition against 2 to 3 panelists opposed to the proposition. The panelists are given time to make opening and closing statements as well as make rebuttals against each other, but most of the time is spent on audience questions about the topic.

At the beginning and end of each debate, the audience vote on which side of the issue they are on, and the side which convinces the most audience members is declared the winner. Particularly interesting past debates include "The US Drone Program is Fatally Flawed" and "Don't Blame Teachers Unions for Our Failing Schools," both of which brought perspectives from both sides that do not usually make it into the mainstream media.

The UK and both have their own version of Intelligence Squared as well.

2. Cambridge Union

Universities, foundations, and bookstores often host notable individuals and thinkers in debates and discussion, but footage of said talks are only sporadically available on Youtube. One fortunate exception to this rule is the Cambridge Union (not even the Oxford Union posts its debates with the same frequency).

Like Intelligence Squared, the Cambridge Union's debates feature panelists arguing for or against a certain proposition (phrased "This house..."), and Cambridge students ask the panelists questions throughout the debate. Although the debates have a British tinge, they often focus on foreign policy and religious issues relevant to American audiences.

3. BloggingHeads

Bloggingheads.tv is a website started in 2005 to facilitate debate and discussion between two people broadcasting themselves in a split screen (a sort of Skype chat. A typical Bloggingheads discussion brings two online political writers together, usually ones with opposing niche audiences, to talk freely about a specific topic for an hour. Some high-profile figures, such as Atlantic writer Conor Friedersdorf and Brown University Economics professor Glenn Loury, have been known to host Bloggingheads shows.

While many BloggingHeads shows feature more discussion than debate, one show with an explicitly adversarial — although not impolite — format is the DMZ, a weekly talk between conservative writer Matt Lewis and liberal writer Bill Scher.

4. The World Debate

The British Broadcasting Corporation produces a variety of fine radio programs that feature in-depth debates, many of them about local British issues. But one with an international scope is The World Debate. Streamed by listeners in the , The World Debate goes beyond the faddish issues of an hour and talks about long-term concerns with thinkers who are well-known all over Earth.

How big-name are these debaters? and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, among others, appeared on an episode last June and took questions from British students. While the debates occur only a few times a year, they are worth listening to in order to find out what major figures think about current events.

5. Brooks and Shields

While commercial television may not have much room for detailed policy discussions, PBS does still offer low-key, in-depth news coverage. Every week, the PBS NewsHour brings in political columnists Mark Shields (a liberal) and David Brooks (a conservative) to give their thoughts on recent news.

Since newspaper columnists broadcast only their own views, Brooks and Shields allows two political writers to hash out their views in-person. The weekly discussions are available online.