Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2024
55. Elie Honig
CNN’s Elie Honig is one of the most interesting lawyers on TV. A former federal prosecutor with a command of the issues and matter-of-fact delivery, Honig was a fixture on the channel in an election year full of legal controversy. While much of the punditsphere used their platforms to celebrate Trump’s legal troubles, Honig, who is by no means a fan of the former president, continued to call balls and strikes, often to the chagrin of his colleagues. At different points this year, Honig skewered all three of the prosecutors – Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, and Jack Smith – who brought charges against Trump. His arguments, made on air at CNN and in columns for New York magazine, leave his critics little to quibble with except for the fact that he’s not on their team. In an industry full of unthinking conformists, CNN’s senior legal analyst is as valuable for his independence as he is his expertise.
54. Chris Cuomo
Chris Cuomo has remained a force in the news media even after tumbling from his high-profile throne as the most watched man on CNN. Now on NewsNation, Cuomo delivers a sometimes under-appreciated nightly show that dives into subjects not always broached by the rest of cable, while interviewing top newsmakers with regular appearances from the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Mark Cuban. There and on his own podcast, which boasts nearly half a million subscribers on YouTube, Cuomo has become an assertive voice for the growing number of Americans who feel disillusioned with the both major political parties. In 2024 Cuomo waded into independent media in a way few traditional broadcasters have, sitting for a lengthy interview with Tucker Carlson and appearing regularly on Patrick Bet-David’s YouTube show. What’s more, thanks to NewsNation’s collaboration with DecisionDeskHQ, which is known for aggressively calling elections, Cuomo ended up being the first broadcaster to call the 2024 race for Trump. In December, he signed a new multi-year deal with NewsNation, ensuring Cuomo will be a fixture in the news business for years to come.
53. Laura Ingraham
Unlike many commentators of the pro-Trump variety, Laura Ingraham doesn’t shy away from occasionally giving tough love when she feels Republicans have erred. That gives Fox’s 7 p.m. host more influence than others who serve purely as cheerleaders for the man who took over the GOP and remade it in his image over the last decade. Of course, Ingraham is offering more advice than critique for the GOP, but it’s different from some of the other fare you might see on Fox — it holds more sway. In 2024, Ingraham warned Trump against attacking other Republicans, describing it as a “loser strategy,” and chided Republicans for advocating more money for the “woke military.” Ingraham also spoke to Trump and his allies in person, interviewing the former president, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, and Eric Trump, among other prominent Republicans on her show The Ingraham Angle. Ingraham regularly found herself in the top five most-viewed shows in all of cable news, losing out only to Fox News colleagues like Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld. When it comes to the cable news competition, there is no debate: In November, Ingraham nearly quintupled CNN’s 7 p.m. hour, while tripling MSNBC’s hour.
52. Andrew Kaczynski
Andrew Kaczynski, known (and feared) across the industry as KFile, is the rarest of political reporters. It’s not just his uncanny ability to unearth archived video and audio clips long relegated to the absolute depths of the Internet — it’s that his targets are political figures across the partisan spectrum. KFile unearthed footage that highlighted Harris’s shifting positions on Gaza and taxpayer-funded gender transitions for migrants. He uncovered clips of Vance talking about evil childless voters just days after his infamous “cat lady” remarks came to light. Kaczynski also broke what might be the wildest story of the entire election cycle: North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson’s “disturbing comments” allegedly made on a porn forum. In an election cycle full of weird moments, a major political candidate apparently praising Hitler on an X-rated forum might just take the cake. Throughout this election cycle, it felt like every time you turned on CNN you would be greeted by Kaczynski, who had just unearthed another bombshell bit of past commentary from a key political figure. If influence means driving the conversation, Kaczynski is the Mario Andretti of political news.
51. Jon Stewart
After a nine-year hiatus, Jon Stewart made a triumphant return to The Daily Show in February to the kind of raucous applause other television hosts of live shows can only dream of. On the night of Stewart’s return, the show scored its highest ratings in six years. After leaving the program he helmed for 17 years in 2015, Stewart hosted The Problem with Jon Stewart on HBO, but it lacked the mojo to which his longtime fans had grown accustomed on his former program all those years. It was canceled in 2023 after two seasons, making his successful second stint at The Daily Show an undoubtedly welcome relief. Though he only hosts on Mondays, Stewart’s presence has put Comedy Central’s flagship primetime program back on the map after years languishing in the ratings doldrums. Stewart is set to continue hosting and executive producing the show through December 2025, and his intentions after that are unclear. But with a second Trump term looming, Daily Show viewers will surely hope he stays in the host’s seat. Whether he will oblige is another matter.
50. Anderson Cooper
As one of the most famous people in the entire news business, it’s no surprise that Anderson Cooper has retained from his perch at CNN and 60 Minutes the clout to book the big guests and command attention when he has something to say. The AC360 anchor was, as always, fearless in asking tough questions and challenging those in power with biting criticism (mostly those on the right) while still taking opportunities to show his softer side. During one moment of vulnerability, Cooper shared that he still grieves the loss of his parents and his brother – asking psychotherapist Francis Weller, “Shouldn’t I be over this?” Cooper also moderated a town hall in Pennsylvania where Harris offered a final pitch to undecided voters and enjoyed a notable moment when he fact-checked Trump on how the media works – and in doing so, responded coolly to Trump’s juvenile insults. Also this year, Cooper continued to host his Emmy Award-winning Sunday show The Whole Story, and will helm CNN’s always saucy New Year’s Eve coverage alongside pal Andy Cohen.
49. Nicolle Wallace
Nicolle Wallace, the Republican turned #Resistance host of MSNBC’s Deadline: White House, was a consistent critic of Trump this year and persistently made the liberal case for what was at stake at the polls. And it’s paying off. Early in the campaign season her commentary saw her dissect and diagnose the wave of populist fury and institutional distrust fueling Trump’s resurgence as he steamrolled through the early Republican primaries – a process she knows well, as a former Bush campaign staffer and White House official. When RFK Jr.’s independent run entered the fray, she cut through his anti-establishment bluster, scrutinizing his spoiler role. She was an obvious MSNBC pick for prime time specials throughout the year, joining Rachel Maddow and Joy Reid for election-night coverage that network shattered records. MSNBC achieved its most-watched convention ever during the DNC, beat CNN for the first time during the Harris-Trump debate, and ranked #2 across all primetime TV on Election Night 2024. Even though Wallace’s show is in the afternoon she is often the highest rated show at the network. There’s a reason Wallace takes a seat in the prime time line-up her network fondly calls “The Avengers.”
48. Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro
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Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and President Mark Shapiro continued to wield inordinate power over the news media business from atop the titanic talent agency. Ever since they negotiated Maddow’s massive $30 million contract with MSNBC as well as Morning Joe’s expansion at the network, the pair has loomed large over the industry. The duo’s power was such that a high-ranking MSNBC source told Puck News: “it’s Ari Emanuel’s network now.” In November, Emanuel and Shapiro inked Maddow’s new deal for $25 million per year for five years (as reported by Lachlan Cartwright at The Ankler). Don’t be fooled by the pay cut — in an age when star television anchors are getting their packages slashed to pittances, scoring such a blockbuster deal for Maddow’s once a week gig is a mind-boggling win. What’s more, unlike other CEOs who avoid wading into politics out of fear of hurting the bottom line, Emanuel took a stand this year in the pages of the Financial Times, where he pushed for the ouster of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he called a “narcissist” who “failed spectacularly in keeping Israelis safe.” Other reps had banner years as well, including the ubiquitous über-agent Jay Sures (who fought publicly against anti-semitism) and Mark McGrath, the CAA wunderkind who reps the likes of Greg Gutfeld and Dana Perino and seems to keep expanding his roster of cable news stars. Yet amidst a crumbling mainstream news business, the titans at Endeavor had a particularly good year, scoring coups outside of news as well — like poaching superstar Billie Eilish from a competitor and continuing to grow TKO, the conglomerate that owns both the UFC and WWE.
47. Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David emerged in 2024, seemingly out of nowhere, as one of the most influential commentators on the right. The self-made entrepreneur became a millionaire thanks to an insurance business, and has since poured most of his efforts into growing a media empire. Bet-David may not make headlines in the traditional press, where he’s oddly overlooked, but that lack of mainstream attention belies his reach. He boasts more than 5 million followers on Instagram, 1.2 million followers on X, and nearly 9 million subscribers across his two YouTube channels, Valuetainment and PBD Podcast. YouTube is where Bet-David is most comfortable – and where you’re most likely to have seen him on your Explore page – whether he’s lobbing tough questions at Ron DeSantis, creating viral moments as a result, or challenging Bill Maher on the hot-button politics issues of the day. Bet-David is a pugilist, which is what makes his show compelling. He also hosts Tony Robbins-style live events for his insurance business – the latest, in September, featured The Rock – and leaned into live events with his media company as well, to great success. Bet-David’s election night special was covered by Vanity Fair and streamed more than 5 million times on YouTube. He’s one of several on this list whose career as a commentator was turbo-charged by several appearances on Joe Rogan’s hit show, which you can expect more of as viewers seek out compelling conservative voices who understand the appeal of Trump.
46. Joy Reid
Throughout the years, MSNBC’s Joy Reid has gone from weekend host to prime time firebreather. Thanks to her bold and brash progressive commentary – and searing indictments of Trump and Republicans, delivered reliably night after night – Reid has built a steady audience of MSNBC viewers eager to see her go off on the latest outrage or spotlight good news for Democrats. Reid’s blistering monologues, often laden with snark, tied Republicans to everything from Nazism to colonialism, from white supremacy to misogyny. Her strident coverage – critics call it extreme – has earned her more detractors than others on the network, which followed her off-screen this year when she was accosted and traded barbs with a pro-Trump activist. She’s not shy about speaking her mind on some of the most controversial issues, like when she called out Black voters who might not support Kamala Harris. In the third quarter of the year, The ReidOut averaged more than 1.6 million viewers – making it the second highest rated non-Fox News show in all of cable news, behind only Nicolle Wallace’s Deadline: White House. Liberals who prefer their commentators to choose the cannon over the scalpel, who prefer confrontation over conciliation, knew they could find it with Joy Reid.