Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2019
65. Brooke Baldwin
Brian Ach/Getty Images
Brooke Baldwin has everything that defines a good cable news host. She is prepared, disarming and natural. With a reputation that rivals the best anchors on cable news, the host of CNN Newsroom has an acerbic style that makes her just as good at fact-checking as she is at interviewing big-name guests on her show. But this year she also opened up a bit more offering commentaries. Whether she’s delivering a stark message on gun control, hosting a fascinating panel discussion, or calling out untruths from powerful people in the government, Baldwin has a knack for holding people to account, and that draws Mediaite headlines in a way few match.
64. Natasha Bertrand
Natasha Bertrand continued her reign in 2019 as a name to know in national security reporting. In April Bertrand — known for scoops on the Trump-Russia story — left The Atlantic to join Politico, where the well-connected national security correspondent has continued to produce pieces on the must-read political story of the year: President Donald Trump’s contact with Ukraine and the subsequent impeachment inquiry. Yet with her growing clout has come pushback, most notably this year in the form of a lawsuit from White House official Kush Patel who sued Bertrand and Politico for libel in response to her reporting on Fiona Hill’s closed-door testimony. Politico, in turn, stuck by their reporter, slamming the senior counterterrorism director’s lawsuit as an effort to “intimidate journalists.”
63. Preet Bharara
Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara has quickly transformed from “proudly” fired by President Trump into a top legal analyst and contributor for CNN. Showing a knack for fortuitous timing, Bharara saw his New York Times-bestselling book on the rule of law, Doing Justice, hit bookshelves just weeks before Special Counsel Robert Mueller released his long-awaited report on the Trump-Russia investigation. He’s provided the network with an authoritative voice to push back against some of the White House more specious legal arguments, But its on Twitter where he really shines mixing it up with a Trump son and Republicans in Congress. And his careful and reasoned legal commentary proved to be a crucial voice during an impeachment of Trump that followed an unexpected and constantly twisting road in the final few months of the year. His influential podcast Stay Tuned with Preet welcomes the biggest names in the legal world and is heard by the movers and shakers on the Acela corridor and beyond.
62. Susan Zirinsky
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images
Susan Zirinsky became the first woman to lead CBS News after David Rhodes stepped down at the end of his contract early this past year. A legendary senior executive producer of 60 Minutes, Zirinsky was tapped to be president of the network’s news division in the wake of the shocking sexual misconduct allegations against former CBS This Morning anchor Charlie Rose and the former CEO of CBS, Les Moonves. Zirinsky’s selection was hailed by former CBS Evening News anchor, Scott Pelley, as a big step forward in rooting out a workplace culture that had grown hostile for women. While she faces a number of other strategic challenges, among them making the network’s streaming news network, CBSN, relevant in an era awash in other live news choices, CBS chose someone with the chops to figure it out.
61. John Roberts
Few remember that John Roberts was once almost the permanent anchor of the CBS Evening News. One would think his highfalutin experiences might make him reluctant to get his hands dirty. And they would be wrong. His influence derives from a combination of scrappy work and visibility to President Trump, who often picks on the Fox News White House correspondent first at the most newsworthy D.C. events. Roberts is not afraid to call out the president and his Republicans supporters when the occasion demands it, which is apparently often. As a White House correspondent, Roberts has the added benefit of getting to do it right to Trump’s face. He’s one of the fairest reporters on the beat, and his regular appearances on Fox’s news programs adds a dose of hard reporting straight from the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. For the network, he monopolizes the beat, an advantage that boosts his influence.
60. Manu Raju
When CNN needs a last-minute down-to-the-deadline interview with the members of Congress in the corridors of power, rest assured that Manu Raju will be there with a microphone and a camera at the ready, not to mention a bevy of questions directly on the pulse of where the news cycle is going. Raju is a fixture on CNN’s news heavy programs like Inside Politics and The Situation Room, thanks on his unique grasp of what makes Congress tick, and his ability to stumble seasoned political leaders into non-answers — or the real answer — with an insightful question. His skill as an interviewer was perhaps on best display when he caused GOP Rep. Mark Amodei to list out a number of petulant dodges when confronted with testimony in the impeachment inquiry.
59. Cenk Uygur
Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images
The godfather of progressive digital media, Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur has grown his media empire into a massive online operation that is part news commentary, part progressive policy promotion, and part investigative work. In a move that could reveal just how much progressive political clout he has amassed over the years, Uygur is now trying to take his commentary to Congress, announcing last month that he is running in the 2020 special election for California’s 25th congressional seat, which was vacated former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill. Bagging an almost-endorsement from none other than Bernie Sanders — it was quickly retracted over controversial old comments made by Uygur — was nonetheless glaring evidence of his progressive clout.
58. Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle
Few on air partnerships appears to better balance serious news discussion with mutual respect and genuine fun than MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle. 2019 saw this sharp dayside pairing continue to build on their past success with a day of record breaking viewers just last month according to Nielsen. No surprise, Velshi & Ruhle is the only cable news program with increased viewership for the 1 p.m. hour compared to 2018 in total viewers. Individually these two had productive years also: Velshi led MSNBC’s coverage of Hurricane Dorian and helped moderate MSNBC’s Climate Forum, while Ruhle launched her first podcast “Modern Ruhles: Compelling Conversations in Culturally Complicated Times”, a partnership with iHeartRadio and MSNBC.
57. Nancy Dubuc
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
After succeeding co-founder Shane Smith as CEO of the company in 2018, Nancy Dubuc vowed to turn Vice (and its declining reputation) around — and she has already made major strides in that regard. Under Dubuc this year, Vice acquired competitor Refinery29 and pulled in a $250 million debt investment. Though 2019 saw big layoffs, Dubuc is now moving towards turning Vice from largely a high end production house for companies wanting to target millennials, into a full blown news channel transforming cable channel Viceland with big hires from the news world. Dubuc, who had great success when she ran A&E Networks, is on the move and has already become one of the most influential in news media.
56. Bill Hemmer
Bill Hemmer’s star has been rising at Fox News for some time. The veteran newsman has been with the network for over a decade, and in 2018, he and co-host Sandra Smith saw their show, America’s Newsroom, expand both its air time and influence. From high profile interviews to high intensity confrontations, Hemmer’s name rose not just in the news division but among the network’s fans and, therefore, in cable news overall. Now Hemmer is poised to increase that when it was announced that he would take the 3 p.m. anchor position left vacant by Shep Smith when he stepped down. Those aren’t easy shoes to fill, but Fox News executives clearly see Bill Hemmer Reports — under the stewardship of a newsman with decades of experience — as a strong bet to continue the hour’s upward ratings trend.
