Traditional media is quickly going the way of the dinosaur. More people listen to “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast than read or watch anything from the major news networks on television. Podcasting and YouTube are replacing traditional cable news. Instead of having MSNBC, NBC, ABC, and CNN occupying the front row during White House press briefings, we should see representatives from Rogan, Timcast, Benny Johnson, and the Daily Wire. That’s where folks get news. And from independent news publications.
This is a lesson CNN is learning the hard way. Ever since Trump won the election in a landslide last week, the once mighty cable television network has witnessed its ratings drop a whopping 94 percent, according to an article published by the Daily Mail.
That’s going to leave a mark. How can they recover from such a massive loss? Can they make a comeback? Only if they embrace the new direction of media consumption and ditch the false crusade against President-elect Trump. Are they willing to make such a major shift in their ideology? I have a hard time believing they would do that.
Check out more from The Western Journal:
In 2016, CNN ranked as the most-watched cable news network, with an average of 13.3 million prime-time viewers. Remarkably, that number now stands at only around 800,000 — a decline of 93.99 percent. CNN’s 2024 election night ratings highlighted the decline. On Nov. 5, the network drew only 5.1 million viewers compared to 6 million for establishment rival MSNBC. Prime-time titan Fox News ranked first with 10.3 million viewers.
Thus, it came as no surprise last week when a report surfaced that CNN plans massive layoffs, including on-air talent.CNN, of course, continues to employ notorious Trump-haters such as Jim Acosta and Jake Tapper. Reliable establishment shills Anderson Cooper, Dana Bash and Kaitlan Collins also call the network home. At $20 million per year, Cooper’s salary dwarfs that of the younger Collins, who rakes in only $3 million.
If they want to stay afloat and not go the way of the Titanic, CNN’s new head honcho Mark Thompson has to decide here and now to change directions. He will have to pull his dogs back on the leash and get some voices on the network who are more right wing. Like Scott Jennings. He’s emerged as a rising star and he’s unashamedly conservative. Get more of a balance and we might see a miraculous resurrection.
Unfortunately, I’m not convinced that’s what Thompson is going to do. The biggest competitor they have for the liberal viewing audience which they seem to want to focus on is MSNBC, and they have no problem admitting their own bias and attacking Trump. In order to compete, CNN will likely stay the course, leading to the end of a once mighty voice in the realm of journalism.