Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2019
45. Jim Acosta
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CNN’s veteran White House correspondent Jim Acosta remains one of the most high-profile cable news reporters covering Trump. This is due not only to his aggressive coverage and fact-checking of the president, but the return fire he regularly draws from nearly everyone in Trump’s orbit, whether it’s the White House press secretary, certain primetime hosts on rival network Fox News, of the president himself. Acosta takes a tumble on this list after checking in at No. 7 in 2018 — but through no fault of his own. The end of the press briefing simply gave Acosta fewer opportunities to publicly confront administration officials. But Acosta, this year, showed he’s not a one trick pony. A man who has excelled at 3 minute video packages showed that his skills translate to longer form journalism as well — as he authored a New York Times bestselling book this year. In it, Acosta rejected the idea of “neutrality for the sake of neutrality” journalism. Sounds about right for this pugilistic reporter whose star continues to rise at CNN.
44. Harris Faulkner
As one of the leading moderators of Outnumbered and the solo host of Outnumbered Overtime, Harris Faulkner commands a good swathe of Fox’s daytime programming. The role is a tricky one, with Faulkner operating on Fox News’ opinion side for panel show Outnumbered, to her anchor gig on Overtime, which regularly features lawmakers and other influential news figures. Her ratings often rival those of daytime network programming, a feat not achieved by rival cable news networks. This felt like the year Faulkner went from supporting player to one of Fox’s breakout stars, with some of her best moments coming by way of confrontational interviews with Democratic and Republican guests alike. On the issue of immigration, for example, Faulkner aggressively pressed both Kellyanne Conway about the deaths of migrant children in U.S. custody and Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell for refusing to “make a deal” with the president to create border barriers that she argued “work in some places.”
43. Robin Roberts and Savannah Guthrie
Robin Roberts and Savannah Guthrie are probably better known throughout the country than most of the people on this list as anchors of the two most-watched morning shows: Roberts at ABC’s Good Morning America, Guthrie at NBC’s Today show. Both are known for big interviews with newsmakers, and Roberts kicked the year off with a big booking: Jussie Smollett. His answers to Roberts’ questioning eventually sparked controversy when he was accused of staging the hate crime that had become national news. Roberts continued to deliver headline-grabbing sit-downs to GMA’s still massive and influential audience — there thanks to both her as well as star co-hosts like Michael Strahan — interviewing everyone from Dolly Parton to Joel Osteen. Guthrie conducted a slew of news-making interviews as well, including her interrogation of Sarah Sanders. She was able to use her legal experience when selected as a moderator for the first debate of the Democratic primary season, hosted by NBC. The two-night event scored 18 million viewers the first night and 15 million the second, making it the most-watched debate of the year. In a way it’s a testament to both that they aren’t higher up on the list since they have both been able to avoid many of the partisan squabbles dominating the country.
42. Ashley Parker
Back in September, President Trump referred to this Washington Post White House reporter as a “nasty lightweight.” Of course, true lightweights never get the president’s attention. And Ashley Parker proved in 2019 that she is a true heavyweight. Along with colleagues Josh Dawsey, Robert Costa, and Phil Rucker, Parker has made a major splash on the White House beat for the Washington Post. Notably, in September, Parker teamed with Rucker on a piece chronicling Trump’s “lost summer” — the one which drew the president’s ire. She also scored with an illuminating feature revisiting the memorable launch of Trump’s 2016 campaign, which was timed perfectly to the official start of his 2020 reelection bid. Beyond those high profile pieces, Parker has proved to be dialed in with strong sources — which has made her a must-read on the impeachment drama. Getting selected as a moderator for the November Democratic presidential debate was the cherry on top of a brilliant year.
41. Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow
Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow follow New Day with a fast-paced and serious news program that’s generally the best cable show for what news is breaking at 9 a.m. Sciutto — who boasts an impressive career as a journalist and foreign official — is formidable in part because he can tap into his experience as a top national security reporter. 2019 saw the release of his book, The Shadow War, a timely guide to the threats China and Russia pose to the United States. Harlow, meanwhile, spends her time off the set of CNN Newsroom interviewing the biggest CEOs and global leaders for her excellent podcast, Boss Files. Harlow is equally equipped to handle a combative interview with a Trump official — like when she maneuvered Kevin Hassett into admitting falsehoods coming from the White House — to cornering Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein into a critique of capitalism before a live audience.
40. Martha MacCallum
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It’s been about two years since Fox News put Martha MacCallum in the 7 p.m. hour, with a news show that leads into Fox News prime time, and the anchor continues to bring in big interviews and ratings to the network. It’s no surprise MacCallum’s back on Mediaite’s Most Influential List, from her clashes with 2020 Democrats at Fox’s town hall events in 2019 to her news-making interviews with the president and allies like Devin Nunes. MacCallum’s repeated dust-ups with Congressman Sean Maloney (D-NY), who is also an aggressive attorney, show she’s not afraid to mix it up in combative interviews.
39. Phil Griffin
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MSNBC president Phil Griffin oversaw another strong year for his network. With Rachel Maddow once again landing in the top five of the ratings pile, and a new slate of programming on MSNBC thriving — Brian Williams and Nicolle Wallace have consistently challenged Fox’s dominance — the network maintained its position as the leading voice on the left and one of the top rated channels on cable. Griffin had some hurdles, namely the unsavory allegations about NBC executive leadership that were made in Ronan Farrow’s book, but the focus was much more on his colleagues and in terms of influence, MSNBC remains a mighty force going into 2020. With a Democratic primary debate already scheduled for February, you can expect MSNBC — under Griffin’s leadership — to be one of the most important places to follow the upcoming election.
38. Laura Ingraham
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Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show entered its second year in 2019, and maintained a firm position at the top of the ratings lists. Her opinion program is regularly in the top five and finished the year as the fourth most-watched prime time show on cable news, behind Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and the only non-Fox show in the top five, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show. Ingraham is frequently a target of CNN criticism, not to mention MSNBC hosts and even late night programs which only increases her name recognition. And like her fellow Most Influential Maria Bartiromo, she’s regularly name-dropped by the president at his rallies. So it’s not just ratings and viewers and access, it’s a base of devotion, too.
37. Kristen Welker, Hallie Jackson, and Peter Alexander
The White House beat isn’t what it used to be since the Trump administration decided to do away with daily press briefings. But NBC News’ trio of White House correspondents Kristen Welker, Hallie Jackson, and Peter Alexander have managed to distinguish themselves in the post-briefing world. Jackson juggles her role as NBC’s chief White House correspondent with a stellar morning politics show on MSNBC; Welker received high praise as a moderator at MSNBC’s Democratic primary debate; Alexander spends his weekdays questioning White House officials and his weekends co-anchoring the Today show. From the studio to the press conferences and impromptu Chopper Talks that Trump holds on the White House lawn, these three still manage to dislodge information and insight on the occupants of the People’s House.
36. John Solomon
Fox News contributor John Solomon proved to be wildly influential in 2019, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Solomon, who left The Hill in September after his colleagues repeatedly raised ethical questions about his reporting, is at the heart of the Trump-Ukraine scandal. He wrote more than a dozen Hill articles — some with the help of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his now-indicted associate Lev Parnas — on Ukrainian government corruption and their supposed collusion with Democrats during the 2016 election, parlaying conspiracy into Fox News appearances. He was the reporter who interviewed a former Ukrainian official who accused Joe Biden of secretly quashing an investigation into his son’s natural gas company, a claim that became the catalyst for Trump’s request to Ukraine’s president and one that has been repeatedly debunked. The State Department and foreign officials have dismissed Solomon’s reporting, but those looking to implicate Ukraine in an election meddling cabal with Democrats will probably start in some way shape or form with his stories. During the impeachment proceedings, Solomon’s name came up more than any other reporter — by far. Whatever else you want to call it, that is influence.
