Cable News and Biden’s First 100 Days: The Good, the Bad and Unsolicited Advice for Fox News, CNN and MSNBC

Friday, April 30th, marks President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office, which has long been a convenient benchmark for assessing a new administration. Given the outsized influence of cable news — particularly those of the opinion variety — it’s also a useful time to assess how each network has adjusted to a new administration.

There is no denying that the end of the Trump administration brought with it a massive change in political media coverage.  Gone are the hourly tweets from a commander-in-chief who didn’t just delight in consuming cable news but also engaged in real-time criticism and over-the-top comments that helped distract the national discourse from a narrative that may have been less flattering for former President Donald Trump.

The 45th President was very much the never-ending perpetual news-making machine from which all networks benefited. As a result, each network has had to adjust to the vacuum of news created by Trump’s de-platforming off of all social media and his exit from office. Cable news has also had to deal with a tranche of viewers eager to return to binge-watching Netflix, watching sports, or reality television. Cable news fatigue is real, and each network has seen a predictable drop in viewership as a result.

This is a strange time in the cable news wars in that each network has had some reason to crow over recent ratings success. Fox News was forever the dominant primordial ratings beast, but the end of 2020 saw CNN surprisingly at the top while Fox viewers interested in hearing how Trump lost to a “rigged” election went to other outlets. MSNBC also had many ratings wins as well—and even won overall ratings for the first quarter of this year—but could just as easily fall to third place in April, which illustrates just how fickle viewers have become in a post-Trump world. In short, the cable networks are now more evenly matched than ever before.

Each cable news outlet serves a very different purpose for a very different set of viewers. To suggest a hard and fast rule for what works for all three networks is to parade one’s ignorance of how each network has very different ways of achieving their goals of ratings-based revenue. What follows is one person’s assessment of what has worked in the past 100 days for each network, some challenges they each still face in a post Trump-world, and some nagging questions that will need to be answered over the course of the next year or so.

* * * * * *

Fox News: No other network has had to hustle more than Fox has had to in the past three months. Why? January saw a historic drop in ratings that some saw as an omen for things to come. Fox News opinion programming was not just top-rated during the Trump administration, but very often felt like they were hand in glove working with one another. But the manner in which Trump claimed to have lost the election, combined with an early Biden call for Arizona, led one Fox personality to tell me that Fox viewers felt “betrayed,” which prompted an exodus to OAN and Newsmax, two outlets that were more comfortable ignoring facts and amplifying Trump baseless conspiracies.

GOOD NEWS: Fox News has not just stemmed the ratings ebb tide, but they have welcomed back a majority of the viewers that departed for the upstart networks that, for a moment, outflanked them on the right. The re-tooling of both their dayside and evening line-ups seems to have been a hit, and there is no better example of Greg Gutfeld’s late-night show that has been a hit in its first two weeks, competing with network hosts for nearly the same numbers of viewers. Fox News has returned to the top of most ratings charts and has done so with a return to the politically oppositional programming in their DNA.

CHALLENGES: Fox News still has many center-left and “old school” conservatives on staff as paid contributors — the likes of Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes — but any notion that viewers would see a return to Krauthammerian punditry have been sorely mistaken. Fox News has pivoted to the “Trumpy” over the past few months, as evidenced by the prominence of Federalist publisher Ben Domenech, now a network contributor trying out for the 7 p.m. hosting job.

Fox has returned to earlier glory by reclaiming the margins from Newsmax and OAN, but that also means that they might be giving up the center — and a crucial growth market — by appealing to their base. In the strange calculus of the cable news ratings game, however, appealing to centrists historically gets you nowhere. Fox News has forever been successful because it has always defined its viewer by telling them what to feel passionate about. Over the past few months, it felt like the network was chasing the viewer. Fortunately for programming execs and leadership, they have found it.

Politically speaking, Fox News opinion shows have been unsuccessful so far in creating a true villain of the Biden administration (look at the polls). Biden himself is too old, too patriotic, and too well-liked to go after. Consistently attacking the stated goal of reuniting a divided nation feels oxymoronic. No one cared about Hunter Biden. The border “crisis” is a real story but not materially different from the caravan concerns we have heard for nearly three years. Vice President Kamala Harris feels the easiest target for Fox News opinion hosts, but thus far, even those attacks have not made much of a dent either.

And lest we forget the over four billion dollars of lawsuits combined filed by Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. They aren’t going away any time soon, and even if they are eventually settled out of court, they are likely to come at a healthy expense.

WHAT’S NEXT? Part of the reason Fox News is such a hot topic of conversation in media circles is its massive sphere of influence and the controversy it creates. Tucker Carlson is currently the most powerful person in media because nary a day goes by that he is not at the center of some outrage. That is clearly by design; Carlson delights in exploiting the verboten topics of the day and does so with a high brow/low brow sophistry that works both as a meta-commentary for some and pure outrage grievance for others. These controversies could catch up to Carlson.  Tucker has got to continue pushing the envelope but stay out of trouble simultaneously, which raises the question: is threading the needle between controversy and what many see as increasingly irresponsible broadcasting a viable long-term strategy?

Broadly speaking, the constant level of outrage and grievance one sees daily on opinion programming could easily grow very tiresome for even the most loyal viewer if the network cannot pivot to an occasionally uplifting or entertaining topic.

UNSOLICITED ADVICE:  Shore up your news and research departments so you avoid correcting embarrassing false reports like Biden’s supposed burger quota and Vice President Harris border book story. Also? Book more centrists or progressive pundits that aren’t married to the very same talking points one sees every hour on the hour throughout the day. It may not be as good for ratings as Dan Bongino, but even Roger Ailes understood that you’re not a serious news network if you’re all right all the time.

* * * * * *

CNN: One of the great questions asked of media personalities over the past four years was this: “Is Trump good or bad for the media.” Most paused to consider their answer before replying because there is no denying Trump’s behavior created a nation of news addicts that drove significant revenue. The deep cynicism and anger towards the media, fueled by relentless accusations of “fake news” — a smear that undermined meaning itself and inspired pipe bombs in the mail. No other network exemplifies that paradox better than CNN, which started the Trump administration in third place but ended on top.

GOOD NEWS: In the current hyperpartisan post-Trump media landscape, the vacuum of Trump news has to be filled with real news, right? And that’s where CNN is poised to thrive. Case in point, when really big news hits, most people tune to CNN, which is true for on January 6th and Biden’s inauguration. CNN did not win total viewers during Trump’s second impeachment trial or the Derek Chauvin verdict but did win the lucrative 25-54 target demo. It suffices to say that the network that arguably boasts the best news division, the biggest fleet of reporters, is also by far the most nimble in sending boots on the ground to wherever big news is breaking.

CHALLENGES: The jury is still out on the newly retooled dayside lineup. The new New Day is less than two weeks old, but given the preponderance of opinion essays (nearly all of which have gone after GOP officials and/or Fox News), it’s clear that the morning show is not resisting the cable news urge to open the day with more overtly opinionated programming. Early ratings for New Day have not been good (though is a sharp increase in New Day-related Mediaite posts as a result.) In fairness, it is still very early to truly assess its long-term viability, but the latest solution CNN’s morning show ratings problem still remains unsolved.

Evenings have so far been a mixed bag for CNN. Erin Burnett’s ratings have been up, and Don Lemon has consistently been at the forefront of a national dialogue on racial injustice and a national reckoning that has followed, in thanks to his timely book about the topic. But Chris Cuomo presents as the “alpha“ of CNN’s primetime, and the controversies surrounding his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and how the brotherly coverage was (mis?)handled by the network cut into the 9 p.m. host’s mojo.

However, the biggest challenge for CNN is this: when there is no major news event, how will they successfully pivot to political media coverage when Trump is effectively exiled in Mar-a-Lago (or Bedminster)? As a politically active ex-president holding a tenuous grip on the reins of the RNC, he is absolutely worthy of coverage, but certainly not to the degree he still receives. But that level of coverage is certain to abate. Ratings were paltry for CNN early in the Trump era, and after a phenomenal start to the year, there are signs they could be slowly floating down to third place, while MSNBC and Fox News secure a tighter grasp of their partisan audiences.

WHAT’S NEXT? The biggest issue over the next year is future leadership. CEO Jeff Zucker announced in February that he would not be renewing his contract and would be seeing out the term of his current deal by the end of the year. Some have suggested privately that he is still negotiating: is it for a possible return, or he is truly done and eager for his next chapter? All of that speculation is immaterial to the current structure and, more importantly, the insecurity it brings for the notoriously fragile egos on-air talent, but also executives, and producers who have enjoyed success under Zucker’s leadership. But if and when he leaves, Zucker’s departure will likely unsettle a delicate ecosystem of creative and ambitious minds worried that they may not have it as good under the next boss.

UNSOLICITED ADVICE:  Avoid the trap of the Trump era and stop obsessing over the crazies in Republican politics (and giving them oxygen to flourish.) Leave culture war bullshit to others. Shore up news credibility by offering more critical reports on the White House and Democratic politicians. Viewers watch CNN for hard and breaking news, so lean into that as a brand. And more Clarissa Ward!

* * * * * *

MSNBC has probably provided the most consistent offering of programming over the past four years, and despite a change of White House residents, the liberal outlet doesn’t have an urgent need to change what is currently working. Industry insiders often dismissed former MSNBC head Phil Griffin as having little input in the on-air content, but even if he was just an administrator, given the numbers, it worked. As a result, his replacement Rashida Jones doesn’t need to reinvent the programming wheel, but at the same time, her role is not solely custodial. She has the luxury of rolling out her vision of what she wants the network to become without dramatic changes.

GOOD NEWS: MSNBC offered the fewest programming changes compared to its rivals, which in light of the 2020 ratings so far, may prove to be the right move. They did give a graphic refresh to on-air graphics, which wisely relies on the preponderance of high definition televisions and looks sharper and tighter. In terms of targets, MSNBC opinion programming has mostly pivoted to going after Republican leadership targets like Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham, leaving Trump animus for others. It’s also worth noting how Nicolle Wallace has been, far and away, the break-out star for MSNBC during the Trump administration, which is good news for her. All of this added up to first place in 1st quarter ratings.

CHALLENGES: While things are going swimmingly for much of MSNBC, everyone knows that the true media bias is towards conflict. And while Trump has largely been put to pasture on MS airwaves, the looming tension will likely reveal itself within the left-of-center portion of the political spectrum. Joe Biden has thus far curried the favor of the more progressive arm of his party, or perhaps it’s more correct to say that the progressive arm has shown patient support for the Democratic president. But will that last four years?

The most vocal supporters of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib, et al. are almost entirely on MSNBC. And how the network manages what feels like an inevitable intra-party conflict will go a long way in defining the future of their ratings. Democratic centrists may find a home at CNN, and progressives feel like the early adopter’s cable cutters content on streaming. So managing to promote a more centrist political agenda put forth by President Biden while saying the political needs of the more progressive side will prove to be the task that can make or break the next four years for MSNBC.

And while Nicolle Wallace was more than ready for her spotlight, it remains to be seen of the appeal of a reformed Republican operative when he or she is no longer cast as a Never Trumper. MSNBC has largely remained unscathed from collateral damage brought forth by the Lincoln Project debacle, but how much longer are those pundits still relevant when Trump is in the rearview mirror?

WHAT’S NEXT? It’s impossible and unfair to place the future of one network on one show, but the canary in the coal mine for MSNBC is their tentpole morning show, Morning Joe. The wildly influential show has forever set the media narrative for many as the combination of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinksi’s insights felt as close to conventional wisdom in an era when reliably conventional wisdom is increasingly rare. Scarborough and Brzezinski have an on-air partnership like no other on-air duo, and their different sides on certain issues feel complementary. As they return to New York studio in the coming weeks, viewers will see if they can recapture the in-person magic that has made that show such an important franchise for MSNBC.

The predictability of MSNBC’s programming makes it both the best and worst positioned to thrive in a post-Trump. Best because it consistently serves comfort food design to reinforce the beliefs of its progressive audience; Worst because without the passion generated by Trump, it is tough for them to can’t stir it up themselves in the same way their rivals can.

UNSOLICITED ADVICE: Avoid the temptation to seize on bandwagon partisan stories that end up hurting MSNBC’s reputation as a news network. Overzealous coverage of the Russia investigation did some harm in this department: sometimes a story is actually too sensationalist to be true! Focus on the local: MSNBC has always excelled at covering Democratic politics, but the network could do well to place an emphasis on communities affected by racial inequality and policing. MSNBC has a newsroom equipped for that kind of reporting, and it would attract a younger, more engaged audience.

 * * * * * *

Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite, and just like the cable news networks listed above, also has good news and challenges to face in the coming year. Follow him on Twitter here.