Viewership may be up for CNN compared to last year, and it may be the fourth most watched daytime cable network throughout the day, but plummeting ratings are still hitting CNN hard. Insiders have revealed why they think this has happened.
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Speaking to the Washington Press, the anonymous insider from CNN thinks their falling ratings are due to the network not being hard enough on Trump.
A number of factors have come into play that have upset both viewers and staff at CNN. Two main players in the network's falling ratings were the decision to hold the town hall with Trump back in May 2023, and their noted lack of fact-checking at his debate, according to the insider. Both of these decisions devalued CNN in the eyes of staff and viewers, damaging their ratings.
"It is widely felt at CNN that we didn't meet the mark," an anonymous journalist at CNN said. The journalist felt that the network alienated its viewer base by not fact-checking the president-elect during the town hall.
The president-elect has been outspoken about his dislike of CNN in the past. In 2022, White House correspondent Jim Acosta's 'hard pass' was taken from him after a clash with Trump. This removed him from White House access. However, CNN sued, claiming it was an unconstitutional act.
Insider Opens Up About CNN Ratings
The anonymous journalist, working for CNN, said, "I think a lot of it can be explained by the viewers making a decision that they just don't like what we're doing. The viewers are pretty smart." Since the election, prime-time viewers of the news network have apparently slumped by 52%.
This may seem like a huge number, but it is perhaps expected that people will tune out post-election. MSNBC has also suffered its own ratings woes. However, conservative networks like Fox News appear to be doing well, ratings-wise.
Meanwhile, CNN has also launched a $3.99 subscription service for its content online as well. However, Chris Cilizza, a former political journalist for the network, says he struggles to see how that makes money.
"I think that the only sustainable model for any big distributed content company is to have a subscription," Cilliza said.
"What's hard for me is: What is CNN known for? CNN is known for breaking news. People turn it on when something big happens. And I think that's a really good brand journalistically, but I just don't know how you make money off it."
Of course, when it comes to CNN as a brand, its dealings on cable are the deciding factor.
"Ratings control everything," a former senior producer said. "It controls the money, it controls the influence, and it's a huge morale issue. You can worry about the future all you want, but right now TV is where the money is and where the reputation is."
