It almost didn't seem to matter that CNN's Dana Bash and Jake Tapper were on stage for the much-awaited presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Journalists see themselves as truth-tellers, and sometimes as contrarians.

NBC News' messy hiring and firing of former Republican National Committee head Ronna McDaniel puts a spotlight on television's practice of paying on-air political contributors.

NBC News will cut ties with former Republican National Committee chief Ronna McDaniel, hired last week as an on-air political contributor.

Hosts across MSNBC's airwaves are following Chuck Todd in publicly criticizing their network for hiring former Republican National Committee chief Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor.

Come next year, here are examples of major differences for how the public will get their information for the 2024 election.

The former Texas congressman, who failed to qualify for two presidential debates, throws his support behind Nikki Haley.

Chuck Todd says he's leaving “Meet the Press” after a tumultuous near-decade of moderating the NBC political panel show and will be replaced by Kristen Welker.

Democracy issues were once an afterthought in election night coverage, with an occasional report on broken voting machines in a polling place or two.

For a news organization, NBC is leaning aggressively into education.

CBS' hiring of former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney and MSNBC's discussions about bringing on White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she's left the Biden administration have troubled some journalists at the networks.

A Black activist and educator is making her presence known as a third-party candidate in Virginia governor's race.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin got off to a combative start in the second and final debate in Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial election.

It was a testy second and final debate in Virginia’s high-stakes governor’s race between Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin got off to a combative start in the second and final debate in Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial election.

Political figures unwilling to say they believe in the results of last year's presidential election pose a quandary for some in television news.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The group of House and Senate Republicans are echoing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Democrat Nancy Pelosi was set to be reelected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years. Hawley specifically defended himself against criticism from GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania as he challenges that state’s election results. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is set to be reelected as House speaker by fellow Democrats, who retain the House majority but with the slimmest margin in 20 years.

(Olivier Douliery/Pool vi AP)NEW YORK – The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. That was the most-watched presidential debate ever. He called on the debate commission to act. Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience, after receiving praise for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016.

President Donald Trump points out into the audience after speaking during the first day of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. President Donald Trump complained about spotty coverage of the roll call vote that renominated him as the Republican candidate for president, and some television networks abandoned Trump's informal, 54-minute acceptance speech for aggressive fact-checking. Democrats turned the traditional roll call vote into a well-received television production, with delegates stationed in their home state or territory to proclaim allegiance to Joe Biden. Republicans had 336 delegates a fraction of the normal amount support Trump at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina. Trump specifically complained about CNN and MSNBC, although he also grumbled that Fox News Channel had announcers talking over the vote.

(Scott Olson/Pool via AP)NEW YORK After a night in which television struggled to keep up with the Democrats' virtual convention, networks were rewarded with the most traditional of political events a powerful speech. This will not be like any convention we have seen before, ever, CNNs Anderson Cooper said at the opening of his networks coverage. Segments spent on broadcast networks previewing speeches by Obama and Sanders seemed like time-wasters when there were other things to show. Wallace's colleague, Dana Perino, stumbled into an unfortunate word choice in an effort to convey enthusiasm for Obama's address. Four years ago, when Hillary Clinton was nominated, 25 million people tuned in to the first night.