Thursday, September 30, 2021
The City Club of Cleveland & Ideastream Public Media Will Present General Election Mayoral Candidate Debate “Cleveland Mayoral Debate: Voters First"
MEDIA ALERT
Calle Andrus, Communications Manager
216.916.6434 | calle.andrus@ideastream.org
The City Club of Cleveland and Ideastream Public Media Will Present General Election Mayoral Candidate Debate — “Cleveland Mayoral Debate: Voters First”
Debate Will Air October 11 at 7:30 p.m. on WVIZ, WCPN and ideastream.org
CLEVELAND, Ohio (September 30, 2021) — After months of campaigning, two candidates remain of the seven who faced off in the September primary election: Justin M. Bibb, a nonprofit executive, and Kevin J. Kelley, president of Cleveland City Council. On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, Clevelanders will have a chance to cast their votes for their city's next mayor — a decision that will have a ripple effect on the entire region. Knowing where the mayoral candidates stand on the issues, and what they plan to do for the city, is essential to making an informed vote.
Ideastream Public Media, the home of Northeast Ohio’s member-supported public broadcasting stations WVIZ, WCPN and WCLV, in partnership with the City Club of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland’s longstanding convener of public dialogue and debate, will present “Cleveland Mayoral Debate: Voters First,” a 90-minute debate between Bibb and Kelley, on Monday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m.
The debate will air on WVIZ, WCPN, cityclub.org and ideastream.org/debate. The debates will also be made available to any local media outlets interested in sharing or reporting on the mayoral race.
Rick Jackson, senior host/producer at Ideastream Public Media, will host the debate. Joining him are a panel of journalists: Nick Castele, senior reporter/producer at Ideastream Public Media; Lawrence Daniel Caswell, field coordinator at Cleveland Documenters and Elizabeth McIntyre, executive editor at Crain's Cleveland Business.
The debate will also feature the voices of Clevelanders on the issues that matter in their neighborhoods and communities, including economic development, infrastructure and the role of the arts. The questions will come directly from members of the community through pre-recorded video. The moderators may also pose follow-up questions. Clevelanders can submit suggestions for questions for the candidates in English or in Spanish at ideastream.org/election2021.
Additional partners for “Cleveland Mayoral Debate: Voters First" include Crain’s Cleveland Business and Cleveland Documenters. This debate is presented with support from the Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation and Assembly for the Arts.
To find more about Ideastream Public Media’s ongoing local election coverage and podcast “After Jackson: Cleveland’s Next Mayor,” visit ideastream.org/election2021.
Directions and Information for In-Person Media Attendance
Media are invited to attend the debate in-person at the Idea Center at 1375 Euclid, Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. The debate will be taped at 5 p.m. Every effort will be made to create appropriate amounts of physical distance to ensure safety. There will be no live studio audience. Credentials will be required for entry, and masks will be required for all media members and staff for the entire duration of the event.
Any time after 4:30 p.m. on October 11, media should enter the Idea Center through the doors at Euclid Avenue to be escorted to the viewing area in the Gund Dance Studio. The viewing area will be equipped with an audio mult box, video distribution amp and hardwire and wireless network connectivity. Media will not be permitted inside the Westfield Studio Theatre during taping, though media will have access to the candidates immediately following the debate.
Media needing assistance on October 11, contact Calle Andrus, Communications Manager at Ideastream Public Media, at 216.916.6434.
About Ideastream Public Media
Ideastream Public Media serves the people of Northeast Ohio as a trusted and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Ideastream Public Media is the home of five public television stations (WVIZ, WVIZ OHIO, WVIZ WORLD, WVIZ CREATE and WVIZ KIDS); WCPN, Northeast Ohio’s NPR news and public affairs radio station and WCLV, Northeast Ohio’s classical music radio station. Ideastream Public Media produces the award-winning children’s series “NewsDepth” and manages The Ohio Channel and the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau on behalf of all Ohio’s public broadcasting stations. Ideastream Public Media is indispensable and highly valued for its unique ability to strengthen our community. For more information about Ideastream Public Media’s rich legacy of innovation and credible content, visit ideastream.org.
About The City Club of Cleveland
The City Club of Cleveland is one of the nation's great free speech forums. A product of the Progressive Era, we were founded in 1912 and are one of the nation's oldest continuous independent free speech forums, renowned for a tradition of debate and discussion. With a mission is to create conversations of consequence that help democracy thrive, the City Club convenes more than 120 forums every year for the benefit of the community. You can find out more and visit the archives at cityclub.org.
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