More Than 42 Republicans Appear on CNN Amid McCarthy Fiasco as Network Focuses on ‘Objective Journalism’
As the House speaker election fiasco dominated headlines and cable news coverage this week, a few interesting trends in journalism emerged. While C-SPAN was declared the week’s winner by the Wall Street Journal for its newfound freedom to cover the House floor, CNN has also made its mark as more than 42 Republican House members have appeared on the network in recent days.
They haven’t always brought their manners with them. On Thursday night, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-WI) called CNN’s Erin Burnett “young lady” and CNN the “Clinton News Network.” Burnett, who is 46, cooly replied, “I assume when you called me a young lady it was a compliment.”
Nehls shot back, “Of course it was. This is my first time on the Clinton News Network. Absolutely.”
“Ok, that I will say, in my opinion, was a bit rude. But I’m glad you’re talking to me and I’ll treat you with the respect that you deserve,” Burnett replied, offering a masterclass in how to handle a hostile guest.
Burnett, who has also had a distinguished career as a field reporter internationally and has hosted her show everywhere from Afghanistan to Ukraine, appeared to exemplify the new vision of CNN’s CEO Chris Licht – to put the reporting first and the politics second.
Last fall, CNN came under fire from critics who accused the network of shifting to the right as Licht axed several prominent hosts, many of whom were known as prominent critics of the Trump administration, in an effort to rid the network of the #Resistance reputation developed in the Zucker years.
The chatter reached a fever pitch in mid-September, resulting in CNN releasing a statement to the Hill, which reported on the criticisms.
“CNN is not shifting from left to right or pursuing a centrist position,” a CNN spokesperson told The Hill. “We are entirely focused on our core strength and mission — objective journalism, presented in a fair and compelling way. We will continue to acknowledge different worldviews and experiences. We will always stand up for democracy and call out lies — regardless of their origin. That is not centrism, that is journalism.”
The willingness of 42 — and counting — GOP members to go on CNN to discuss infighting within their own party appears to be a manifestation of Licht’s vision as the network went to Republicans to tell their own story.
Additionally, CNN managed to book not just bomb-throwing GOP members who are grabbing headlines by rebelling against Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, but also rank-and-file conservative members who offered insights and policy positions beyond the bombastic rhetoric.
As the week went on CNN ratcheted up the number of Republican House members on air. On Tuesday, the network had 6 on, while on Wednesday 10 appeared — ranging the spectrum from hardliner Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) to moderate Rep. David Joyce (R-OH). CNN ended Thursday having had 23 GOP House members on air and as of the morning already had 8 booked for Friday.
CNN wasn’t the only cable news network to see more Republicans grace its airwaves in recent days, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) made a typically dramatic appearance on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle.
Licht discussed in mid-November the importance of not just covering the “noise” regarding the loudest voices in U.S. politics while addressing past criticisms that CNN helped to propel Donald Trump into the White House in 2016.
“Part of his strategy is to make sure that everything he does gets a lot of coverage, so that when he slips in something that’s really consequential, like a coup, it feels like noise. And I don’t want us to succumb to that,” Licht concluded, referring to Trump.
CNN was rewarded for its approach to covering the House Speaker saga in the ratings as the network won several hours of coverage in the key 25-54 age demographic on Tuesday, beating both Fox News and MSNBC. And, while Fox News opinion hosts continue to dominate the ratings in terms of total viewers, CNN has seen a significant boost to its daytime news program ratings and is inching close to MSNBC in terms of total daytime viewers.
