CNN Can’t Win, So It Must Attack Those Who Do – Opinion

CNN has struggled to reach one million viewers at any of its most important time slots. Since Donald Trump’s departure, they have seen a decline in viewership. One of their primetime hosts has been fired for multiple ethics violations. This was after many months of nothing being done about the matter. Their president was made to resign. Their viewers have fallen. They have low trust.

One has to think this is at least part of the reason that CNN would choose to continuously go after Joe Rogan, despite the fact that he hasn’t done anything that would warrant the level of vitriol the network has thrown at him. Several folks have tried to pivot and say it’s about the re-surfaced used of a racial slur, but CNN has maintained their attacks on Rogan as a purveyor of misinformation, and have done so for months.

They have also spent many years attacking Fox News and all that it can. Brian Stelter (their chief media correspondent) makes Fox News the central point of his television show. Trustworthy Sources. A surprising number of CNN employees seem to watch Fox News more often than their network. They are so obsessed with their rivals.

CNN’s loudest voices are currently Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo, the former anchor, as well as Jeff Zucker, their ex-boss. Cuomo was allowed to rise under Zucker. Stelter received his job under Zucker. He was the one who allowed Jim Acosta to openly fight with Trump, and he was awarded an anchor position as a reward.

Good people work for the network. You can’t really say they’re even-handed in their coverage, but several folks over there still ask tough questions of both sides. But they are overshadowed by their loudest anchors and reporters, and their work isn’t as recognized because of it. CNN is synonymous with loud, and frankly, offensive, voices.

CNN is currently in the process of building up its own digital platform, CNN+. The platform will include special programming and some of the most prominent hosts and shows as well as all new content. It hopes to capitalise on its unique view count, which is higher than FoxNews.com. As with other networks, the service will require a subscription and be available to fans who are hardcore.

In fact, their website saw 128,000,000 unique visitors in the second quarter 2021. But that’s a lot of Internet searches looking for info for stories. This does not necessarily translate into subscriptions. Regular viewers are people who truly love CNN, although those numbers may be shrinking. They can’t break one million in prime time. They can’t even get a big audience for their special events and town halls – including with the President of the United States.

Joe Rogan, however can create a podcast that lasts 2-4 hours and have it heard by millions. Fox News is able to offer opinions and attract more viewers nightly. The “most trusted name in news” seethes at the audacity, and so they attack out of a jealous rage.

The atmosphere Zucker created was one of degrading those who are doing well. The company’s focus was entertainment, and it created a huge audience. This forced them to examine what other people were doing. It is difficult for them to admit that their method of doing things is flawed.

Think about the increase indictments stemming from John Durham’s inquiry into Steele Dossier. The indictments look pretty damning, but outside of conservative media, you aren’t seeing much about it. CNN and other outlets jumped onto the bandwagon quickly, making their reporting suspicious. They are silent because after spending all that time attacking Trump for some of the things in that dossier, they can’t now admit they fell for the gag.

Also, consider that CNN offers a dollar-store MSNBC as a product on its cable network. This network is loved by a large number of people, so those who are looking for that type of content will be able to find it. When they have it at MSNBC, there is no reason for people to visit CNN.

It turns out that Rogan, Fox News and MSNBC connect with audiences more effectively and stay in touch longer. CNN can’t be successful at that kind of media game, so they’re attacking two of the most successful out there. They’ll keep doing until they get new (and better) management. No one has told those personalities “No” yet. Their previous managers actively supported it.

Look at what it did for them.