CNN defended itself against the criticism from some media commentators that the absence of real-time fact-checking allowed both candidates to spread false claims.
“The role of the moderators is to present the candidates with questions that are important to American voters and to facilitate a debate, enabling candidates to make their case and challenge their opponent,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement.
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“Without having an audience, you got a sense of who these guys are and what they are,” said Frank Sesno, professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University and a former CNN journalist.
“You got the sense of Trump the attack dog and Biden as something of the policy wonk and the hesitant old man that you saw standing behind that mic,” Sesno said.
Read the full article in Reuters