CNN has been labeled “desperate” by industry insiders after the network “experimented” with a podcast-style format on one of its biggest shows.
“We‘re going to try something a little different today. Welcome to my office,” Jake Tapper said at the very top of the Friday edition of The Lead.
Behind him were walls decorated with presidential campaign posters. In a nod to new-school independent podcasters, he spoke into an exposed mic on his desk.
CNN’s lead D.C. anchor and chief Washington correspondent once again referenced the venue change, saying: “So you’re probably wondering what’s going on.”
The 57-year-old network veteran said the higher-ups had concocted an “experiment,” adding, “We thought we would bring you into the space where me and my team do our actual journalism and plan the show every day. So here we are giving it a shot.” The format switched back to regular programming not long after the show started.
The effort to modernize cable news and align it with YouTube-style podcasting fell flat, and ridicule quickly ensued. One network executive told Status that the problem with what some detractors call “mainstream media” is not the format, but the output.
“It’s kinda like rearranging furniture in a burning house,” independent YouTuber Keith Edwards told Status. “It shows they fundamentally don’t understand why audiences are leaving.”
He agreed that the issues aren’t going to be solved by sitting behind a “big podcast mic.”
Anderson Cooper, another network veteran, fell foul of the big mic move on “AC360” earlier in the week, with a CNN insider arguing that the podcasting sphere has become a “natural environment” for the host, 58. MS NOW has also made moves to tinker with its output, and Fox Corporation’s ruling Murdoch dynasty sees the growing podcast space as serious enough to invest in. Even Fox News bigwigs like Sean Hannity have launched podcasts.
However, sources have said that CNN’s move could land awkwardly with its ageing audience. “I’m not convinced that podcast microphones and behind-the-scenes shots are enough to move the needle,” one former television executive told Status.
“It’s a little late to the party,” another said, adding that there is a whiff of “desperation” at the network.
Others were more forgiving, praising CNN for being nimble. “You experiment and fail, but you’re learning each time,” one executive said.
The Daily Beast has contacted CNN for comment.
