TVNewser will be stopping by the TV news networks on this Election Day 2016 to give you a look at what’s going on behind-the-scenes. First stop: CBS This Morning.
Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell, Charlie Rose and their team of producers and crew, led by ep Ryan Kadro, were all hands on deck this morning, broadcasting live from studio 57 on the West side of Manhattan. This morning’s show had an extraordinary amount of energy, both in the studio and the control room. The CBS News team has been fired up about this day for a while.
Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine, Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump, CBS News political director John Dickerson, CBS News contributor Bob Schieffer and The Atlantic’s Alex Wagner all appeared on the show.
We asked Rose about pre-election polls, and whether the media have been putting too much stock into them. “You can always put too much stock into polls, although science suggests that they are frequently right,” he said, adding, “There are glaring exceptions when they’re wrong.”
As for the media becoming part of the story this election cycle (see Megyn Kelly and Katy Tur, among others) Rose says, “I truly hope this won’t continue to be the case going forward.” But if it does, Rose says he hopes “people continue to speak out against it. Wherever it comes from, and whichever side it comes from.”
Rose, King, O’Donnell checked in with a number of CBS News correspondents throughout the show, who reported on turnout across the country. The program also went inside a secret cyber command center to learn about how U.S. law enforcement is able to protect the votes from cyber terrorism and other outside forces.
CBS News elections director Anthony Salvanto also provided his insight on how the network calls a winner in each state. Salvanto and his team will be stationed on one side of the studio tonight. With eyeballs will be glued to their computers, the team will be available to explain incoming votes throughout the night. Sitting across from Salvanto’s squad will be a social media expert, who will tweet out election calls as soon as the decision desk makes a call. Those tweets will go out as soon as they’re ready, even if the anchors have yet to report the info on air.
Norah O’Donnell showing us a CBS News electoral map
A look at the Toyota Green Room minutes before CBS News Bob Schieffer stopped by.
Historical memorabilia from the set of CBS This Morning