evidence: Heading into the debate, CNN political director David Chalian told AP that fact-checking wasn’t the role of the moderators. [...] Even during commercials, CNN kept a countdown clock on its screen as Thursday's presidential debate neared, along with a camera view of the near-empty studio where the two candidates would be. [...] CNN has responded to calls from the White House Correspondents’ Association to allow an independent print reporter into the studio during tonight’s presidential debate to send out behind-the-scenes reports. The network says the event is "closed to press" — meaning that outside journalists are not allowed access to it.