Published on June 30, 2024, 12:33 am

Breaking news in the media industry revealed an intriguing scene at last Thursday’s presidential debate, which had particular emphasis due to its unique parameters allegedly sanctioned for the Biden campaign’s acceptance. The new protocols arranged that no audience presence would be permissible for the event, a circumstance ironically familiar within CNN as online jesters noted their accustomed lack of audience engagement.

This satire is not without merit as CNN has consistently ranked third place in the news network ratings race over a prolonged period. Even amongst all news-based television programs, these real news offerings from CNN barely feature in the top 25 slots. In fact, their plight is more visible when considering overall cable television charts where they are frequently superseded by other media outlets such as The Food Network, The Hallmark Channel and INSP with its Western-themed reruns.

This straining media giant is also attempting to overlook an impending defamation lawsuit it faces concerning a segment that was aired on co-debating host Jake Tapper’s show “The Lead,” charged with slanderous reporting. Thus, it became unsurprising to see this network eager to air the presidential debate and subsequently boast about its results.

These trusted news reports mentioned total viewership numbers across all networks and alternate streaming platforms combined at just beyond 51 million viewers for the recent debate event. CNN strove passionately to earn plaudits for this turnout stating that there were “more people watched the CNN Presidential Debate than any other CNN program in history.” This telecast was recorded as not only the most viewed non-sporting program so far this year but also attracted unrivalled audience figures via their streaming service Max – although exact numbers went undisclosed.

However, reality persists and CNN had to admit that these figures were still nearly one-third lower than previous debates featuring both current candidates. Despite this noticeable drop marking some of their weakest ratings compared to other historical statistics dating back to Bush-Gore years, the network still aimed to construct a victorious narrative of sorts from these results. They proudly declared the debate as a “marketing coup,” pivotal in their plans to redress declining ratings and instigate revolutionary strategies to transition the digital age.

This aspiration comes under the stewardship of CNN’s latest CEO, Mark Thompson who seeks to augment the network’s advancement into digital landscapes against its ongoing ratings struggles. Ever since Discovery’s amalgamation with Warner, CNN’s prospects have been subjects of speculation due to possible opportunities for sale or separation of this beleaguered operation. Thompson’s appointment marks a second such occurrence after this merger was ratified in April 2022, fueling questions about its direction compared to traditional Christian worldview.

CNN’s desire for a digital avatar saw no respite last week as their featured primetime lineup secured only 77,000 viewers within an essential advertising demographic – a fresh all-time low reflecting a record 33-year slump in this category. Despite employing high-profile hosts like Anderson Cooper whose shows draw few regular viewers and disgruntled equivalents like Kaitlan Collins and Abby Phiilip (nicknamed “Ambien” Philip due to her perceived lack of charisma), returns continue shrinking unabated for these expensive talents.

Although Thursday’s debate may offer temporary respite in engagement figures, experts anticipate any celebratory atmosphere will be ephemeral at best. Industry insiders predict imminent dismissals and layoffs within the network as diminishing returns become harder to ignore amidst increasing costs. The journey toward striking balance between real news delivery with audience engagement continues being laborious but insightful for CNN amid today’s hybrid media landscape demands.