Most Influential in Media 2017
45. Steve Bannon
Steve Bannon began the year as the White House Chief Strategist and briefly held a seat on the US National Security Council. After leaving his White House post in August, he went back home to serve as the chief of Breitbart News, which he had previously described as “the platform of the alt-right.” In the final months of 2017, Bannon has taken on the role of GOP kingmaker by backing Trumpian candidates in elections. He’s made further steps to increase his media visibility ahead of the 2018 midterms by returning to SiriusXM to co-host Breitbart’s daily three-hour radio show. Except, of course, he went down a few notches after Roy Moore lost. (JB)
44. Robin Roberts
Yes Robin Roberts is one of the bet known and most “well liked” media personalities in America. But that doesn’t get you on this list. Saying “Bye Felicia” after a GMA exclusive with White House adviser Omarosa Manigault, now that is the sort of dig that lands you right here. It created some controversy and led (almost) everyone in America to love Robin just that much more.
43. Maria Bartiromo
How many regularly aired television shows do you host? If it’s under two, Bartiromo has got you beat. 2017 found her adding Wall Street Week to her portfolio, along with her regular Mornings With Maria, both on top-rated business news network Fox Business, which now bests CNBC in ratings in part based on talent like her. Of course, this is 2017, and, like just about everyone else, the year did not pass Bartiromo by without touching her with controversy. In November, she said that were no allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump and then seemed to block any media figure on Twitter who disagreed with her. But in today’s media landscape, if you’re not offending someone, you aren’t doing it right. (LB)
42. Stephanie Ruhle
2017 was a breakout year for the MSNBC anchor and NBC News correspondent. Recently paired up with fellow finance whiz Ali Velshi, Ruhle has made a name for herself with a tough interviewing style and ability to tag-team with Velshi to call out guests for dodging questions or peddling falsehoods. Hosting three (!) shows on MSNBC and is on-air 6 out of 7 days of the week, the ubiquitous MSNBC presence beats CNN in total audience for the year at 9 am, and her show with Velshiat 11 am beat CNN in total viewers since its premiere in June. The former Bloomberg host has also revealed a low threshold for BS and hypocrisy. At the same time, she’s unafraid to bare her soul on the air and let her emotions show. (JB)
41. Nicolle Wallace
You knew her from years of appearing on Morning Joe, and for a short stint on The View. But it was in 2017 that Nicolle Wallace established herself as a force in the world of political punditry, with her own show debuting on MSNBC. Wallace, who cut her teeth as communications director for President George W. Bush, is the host of Deadline: White House, which airs in the hours after the White House press briefing. The once-Republican provides sharp and insightful analysis of the current administration, complemented by an always stellar lineup of guest commentators. She matters at MSNBC and beyond. (AM)
40. Jack Abernethy
Kanye West once famously noted that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And whether one loves or hates Fox News, indifference is not really an option. It’s been a big year for the network and Fox co-president Jack Abernethy. Megyn Kelly, Bill O’Reilly, and Bill Shine are all gone, but Abernethy steady hand has kept the ship from listing in pretty choppy waters. While they’ve had a lot to deal with internally you wouldn’t know it by watching Fox’s airwaves. The network continues to dominate in the ratings and, of course, remains the President’s favorite cable news network. (JF)
39. Lester Holt
Lester Holt’s successful tenure at NBC Nightly News continued into this year, on the heels of his moderating of one of the 2016 presidential debates. Holt, of course, conducted arguably THE most significant interview of the year. Remember, he interviewed President Trump in the days after James Comey’s firing and made a TON of news as a result, including when the President admitted he was thinking about how Russia is “made up” when he made the decision to fire Comey (JF)
38. David Muir
2017 was the year that ABC journalist David Muir did the unthinkable: he led ABC’s World News Tonight to be the most watched broadcast news program of the year, unseating NBC as champ. As the media world continues to descend into arbitrary chaos around the current White House — obsessing over everything from Trump’s tweetstorms to his 4,000 calorie-plus campaign diet — Muir has also covered the stories that really matter. From the California wildfires at the scene to reporting from Sutherland Springs, Texas just after the worst church shooting in US history, Muir always seems to have his eyes on the bigger stories, instead of Twitter trends and hot air. (CE)
37. The Murdochs
Fox News maintained its ratings dominance in 2017, even after some major turnover with Megyn Kelly and longtime cable news ratings king Bill O’Reilly departing. Lachlan and James Murdoch were, according to reports, essential in convincing their father Rupert to sever ties with O’Reilly. It was a risky move but the network is still thriving even though the Republican party is also split and Fox is no longer the opposing team. It has also shown that the Murdoch sons are ready to take control of the family’s formidable news media empire. And to sell much of it. (JD)
36. Alisyn Camerota
Given all that has gone on in the past year in the cable news landscape, fate may not have smiled more on any one person more than Alisyn Camerota. Day in and day out, CNN’s New Day consistently makes news through smart and thoughtful interviews by Camerota and Cuomo (who benefit from world-class booking and the capable show-running hands of Izzy Povich.) Camerota and Cuomo have good chemistry and both provide super-tough (but always fair) interviewing techniques that are at-once different but still complementary. The fact that sexual misconduct became a huge story — and that she recently left the then-toxic confines of Fox News — Camerota has struck the perfect balance of offering thoughtful and meaningful insight without any anger or schadenfreude directed to her former employer. She is a class act and no one in cable news may be held in higher regard by those on the inside at all networks. (CH)
