CNN vs.

Fox
JA NUA RI 28, 2002

BY PEW RESEARCH CENTER: JOURNALISM & MEDIA STAFF

For all Roger Ailes' talk of CNN's possible bias and Fox's patriotism, it isn't born out
in the numbers the study examined.

Looking at the two signature evening newscasts of the two cable networks over nine
days, there was no appreciable difference.

Taking all three phases studied together, the sample is admittedly small. Most of the
stories on these programs were not oriented around discussing the U.S. policy. Still
of the limited number of stories on CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown that did,
77% were entirely supportive of Administration policy—meaning not even a hint of
dissent.

Just three stories related to U.S. policy over the nine days studied offered a mix of
viewpoints. Only a single story focused on dissent.

On Fox's Special Report with Brit Hume, the numbers are also highly pro-U.S. policy.
In the limited sample, 56% of the relevant stories were unequivocally supportive of
the Administration.

Another 22% were mostly supportive. And 22% offered a mix of pro and dissenting
viewpoints. No stories were primarily dissenting.

At least based on this snap shot, there is no meaningful difference between the two
cable outlets' signature programs in presenting viewpoints. But together, both appear
less likely to offer a mix of viewpoints than their over-the-air counterparts.

Fox's motto is "We Report, You Decide," somehow suggesting less punditry. Is it true
on the network's signature newscast?

Across time, Fox's Special Report stayed at slightly over 50% fact, roughly 30%
analysis and 14% punditry.
That is less straight factual reporting and more punditry than we saw on any of the
three evening broadcasts on ABC, CBS or NBC. There the level of factualness was
closer to 65%. The level of punditry never rose above 7%.

CNN's NewsNight, in contrast, varied widely, from 38% fact and 22% punditry in
November to 87% fact and 6% punditry in December.

When it came to naming sources, both CNN and Fox's signature newscasts had
comparatively high percentages of anonymity, as high as 57% on CNN in September
and 44% on Fox in December, compared with a high of 27% for the media overall.

What differs between the cable signature newscasts is tone.

On Fox, for instance, Osama Bin Laden's cave in a Geraldo Rivera report Dec. 10 is
not a cave but a "rat's nest."

Not all of the tonal differences are so blatant. On November 15, "Special Report" host
Brit Hume suggested a more subtle disdain for anyone doubting the efficacy of U.S.
military strategy with this segue: "We have to take a quick break for other headlines
here, but when we return, find out what some of these military pessimists are saying
now…"

Or listen to correspondent Brian Wilson describe the Republican economic plan:

"There is some movement on an economic stimulus package that could put money in
your pocket."

At CNN, while the people he interviews may offer the same range of perspectives,
anchorman Aaron Brown is more vanilla–to a point where it is hard to disagree with
him.

"It's either been the longest three months in history or the shortest," Brown mused
on December 11th. "At times today to me, at least, it seemed like both."

Or Brown trying to form a question for former General Wesley Clark: "All right, let's
start ratcheting up the military option. Who do we bomb, where do we invade, who
do we go after, how do we do it, where do we start? Where do we start?"

http://www.journalism.org/2002/01/28/cnn-vs-fox/
Return of CNN ‘Crossfire’ injects more opinion
into evening cable news
S EP T EMB ER 9, 2013

BY MARK JURKOWITZ AND JESSE HOLCOMB

Some may find it ironic that after a lengthy hiatus, Jon Stewart returned to host “The
Daily Show” just days before the Sept. 9 re-launch of CNN’s “Crossfire.” During
a memorable October 2004 appearance on “Crossfire,” Stewart said the show’s liberal-vs.-
conservative argument format was “hurting America” and accused the hosts of failing
to live up to their “responsibility to the public discourse.” Two months later, CNN
president Jonathan Klein cancelled the 23-year-old show, saying he agreed
“wholeheartedly” with Stewart’s assessment.

Now, under new CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker, “Crossfire” is back at 6:30
p.m., injecting more opinion-driven programming into an evening cable news
landscape that, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, is already chock full of
ideology and commentary. The ideological combatants on the new “Crossfire”
include a conservative team of former House Speaker and presidential candidate
Newt Gingrich and columnist and commentator S.E. Cupp. Their liberal opponents
are Stephanie Cutter, a former deputy campaign manager for President Obama, and
Van Jones, the former special advisor for green jobs in the Obama White House. All
of them have made numerous appearances as cable pundits.
The snapshot analysis of more than 100 hours of programming in late 2012 found
that liberal-dominated MSNBC led the way in evening commentary (86% of its
airtime) compared with only 14% devoted to reporting. The Fox News Channel, with
its conservative lineup, had the highest proportion of reporting (44%) although there
was still more opinion (56%) on its evening programming.

In contrast with its two main rivals, CNN has traditionally branded itself around
coverage of breaking news events and a more balanced menu of political commentary.
And over the course of the entire day, the Pew Research study showed, it was the only
one of the three cable channels to offer more reporting (54%) than opinion (46%).
But in the evening, CNN leaned more heavily on opinion—66% as opposed to 34%
reporting—than Fox News. The resurrection of Crossfire, which will replace a half-
hour of Wolf Blitzer’s “Situation Room,” will likely increase the commentary quotient.
CNN’s ratings and programming problems, particularly in the evening, have long
been noted by media analysts and reporters, and some have attributed them, in part, to
CNN’s failure to follow the Fox and MSNBC model of personality-driven, highly
partisan programming in the evening. In that context, the return of Crossfire could
be a signal that CNN executives agree with that critique.
The viewership statistics—in the era between Crossfires—do tell a story. When you
compare January-August 2005 to January-August 2013 audiences, median
viewership across the entire day for the Fox News Channel grew from 896,000 to
nearly 1,080,000. The MSNBC viewership increased from 209,000 to almost
382,000. At CNN, viewership was flat, barely inching up from 434,000 to nearly
435,000 in that eight year period.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/09/return-of-cnn-crossfire-injects-more-
opinion-into-evening-cable-news/

April 2018 Ratings: CNN New Day and CNN

Tonight Each Post Their Best April Ratings Ever
By A.J. Katz on May. 1, 2018 - 3:13 PM

CNN just wrapped up a month where it posted year-over-year growth in prime-time viewers, and
saw two of its programs post their largest average April audience ever: CNN New Day and CNN
Tonight.

New Day, the network’s morning show, posted 625,000 total viewers and 204,000 demo viewers,
the latter of which is the show’s second largest April audience in the demo.

CNN Tonight, hosted by Don Lemon, followed a similar trend. Its 1.1 million total viewer
delivery is the show’s largest April audience ever, and its 377,000 demo delivery is its second-
largest ever.

While CNN was +4 percent in total prime-time viewers compared to April of last year (no small
feat), the network was also -6 percent in the prime-time demo, -3 percent in total day viewers and
-12 percent in the total day demo.

Additionally, the network finished in third place in prime time yet again behind FNC and MSNBC.
The average live + same day impressions for April 2018:

 Prime time (Mon.-Sun.): 1,040,000 total viewers / 336,000 A25-54

 Total day (Mon.-Sun.): 725,000 total viewers / 223,000 A25-54

On the programming front, Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter finished No. 1 in its time slot
among adults 25-54 for the second consecutive month, and the noon edition of State of the Union
with Jake Tapper also finished No. 1 in its hour among demo viewers.

The network also touted its 46 month-long dominance over MSNBC in the A25-54 demo (6 a.m.
– 6 a.m.). CNN beat MSNBC by 8,000 total day demo viewers this past month (223,000 vs.
215,000).

Shows like Early Start with Christine Romans and Dave Briggs, CNN Newsroom with John
Berman, (10 a.m.), At This Hour with Kate Bolduan, Inside Politics with John King, Wolf,
CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, Smerconish, CNN Newsroom with Fredricka
Whitfield, The Van Jones Show, State of the Union with Jake Tapper (9 a.m.), Fareed
Zakaria GPS and New Day on weekends beat MSNBC among viewers from the demo.

American Dynasties: The Kennedys concluded its six-episode run in April, and was the most-
watched CNN Original Series ever among total viewers.

Here’s CNN’s release:

CNN BEATS MSNBC FOR 46TH STRAIGHT MONTH IN APRIL

New Day and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon

Have Best April Ratings Ever

Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter Ranks #1 in Cable News on Sundays at 11am for
Second Straight Month

CNN Ranks as a Top 10 Network in All of Cable for Fourth Straight Month

CNN once again surpassed MSNBC in total day, daytime and on weekends this
month among adults 25-54. In total day, CNN has now topped MSNBC for 46
straight months in the key demographic 25-54 (224k vs. 216k), the longest monthly
streak since January 2010.

In dayside, CNN dominated MSNBC for a record breaking 50 consecutive months

among the coveted demographic adults 25-54 in April (207k vs. 184k). All of CNN’s
day time programs (from 10am-4pm) posted higher 25-54 audiences than MSNBC.
CNN also easily outperformed MSNBC during weekend programming in both total
day (197k vs. MSNBC’s 130k) and prime time (260k vs. MSNBC’s 144k) among
adults 25-54. CNN also beat MSNBC in total viewers in total day (677k vs. 593k) and
in prime time (918k vs. 794k) on weekends. CNN topped MSNBC for 20 out of 24
hours on Saturdays and for 24 out of 24 hours on Sundays among adults 25-54.

Key program highlights:

• New Day with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota (6a-9a) had its best April ratings
performance ever in total viewers (625k) and second-best among adults 25-54
(204k), following 2017.
• The Lead with Jake Tapper (4pm) had its second-highest April on record among
total viewers (928k) following April 2017 and third highest among adults 25-54 (251k).
The Tapper-led program also topped MSNBC in the key demo 25-54 at 4pm.
• The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5pm & 6pm) had its third highest April on
record among adults 25-54 and easily topped MSNBC at both 5pm (267k vs.
MSNBC’s 251k) and at 6pm (292k vs. MSNBC’s 278k).
• Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm) had its third highest April delivery ever in total viewers
(989k) and adults 25-54 (332k).
• Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) also had its third highest April ratings ever in total
viewers (1.117 million) and among 25-54 (356k) at 8pm. AC 360 delivered CNN’s
highest total viewership in April (1.117 million).
• CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (10pm) had its best April ratings ever in total viewers
(1.087 million) and second highest among adults 25-54 (377k) behind only April
2017. CNN Tonight delivered CNN’s highest demo 25-54 delivery in April (377k).

CNN’s Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter ranked #1 in cable news at 11am on
Sundays for the second consecutive month among adults 25-54 (282k). The Stelter-
led media program topped Fox News’ Media Buzz by +11% (253k) and MSNBC’s
AM Joy by +36% (207k). State of the Union with Jake Tapper also ranked #1 at noon
among adults 25-54 with 273k, Fox News followed with 244k and MSNBC had 169k.

Other key CNN programs such as Early Start with Christine Romans and Dave
Briggs, CNN Newsroom with John Berman, (10am), At This Hour with Kate Bolduan,
Inside Politics with John King, Wolf, CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin,
Smerconish, CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield, The Van Jones Show, State
of the Union with Jake Tapper (9am), Fareed Zakaria GPS and New Day on
weekends all easily surpassed MSNBC this month, posting higher demo 25-54
audiences.

CNN Original Series continued to post strong ratings during the month of April:

• American Dynasties: The Kennedys which concluded its six-episode run in April
(3/11- 4/15/18), was the most-watched CNN Original Series ever among total
viewers. Every episode ranked #1 in its time period in both total viewers and adults
25-54, outperforming the combined delivery of MSNBC and Fox News. The series
averaged 2.053 million in total viewers and 540k among adults 25-54.
• Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History registered 351k among 25-54 and 1.28
million total viewers across the six-Sunday premiere episodes this season (3/11-
4/15/18). Pope ranked either #1 or #2 in the time period across every episode
among adults 25-54. The series was the third most watched CNN Original Series on
record among total viewers.
• Christiane Amanpour: Sex & Love Around the World averaged 177k among 25-54
and 651k in total viewers across the six-Saturday premiere episodes this season
(3/17-4/21/18). The series ranked #2 in cable news among adults 25-54,
outperforming MSNBC by double digits. Versus the prior four weeks, the series
posted the largest growth in cable news in both 25-54 and total viewers.

All of Cable:
Among ALL cable networks, CNN ranked #7 in total day in total viewer delivery,
marking the fourth straight month that CNN is a Top 10 cable network.

Median Age:
Year-to-date, CNN attracts an audience that is five years younger than Fox News
and four years younger than MSNBC in total day. In prime time, CNN is four years
younger than Fox News and five years younger than MSNBC. MSNBC is tracking at
its oldest yearly median age on record in total day (tied with 2017).

Out-of-Home Viewing:
2018-to-date in total day, CNN averaged a +4.3% lift with Out-of-Home 25-54
viewers. Among ALL reportable Out-of-Home cable networks, CNN ranked #4 with
25-54 viewers gained (+10k), behind only ESPN (+24k) and TBS & TNT tied for 2nd
(+11k)

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/april-2018-ratings-cnn-new-day-cnn-tonight-each-
posted-their-best-april-ratings-ever/363379

Can a new morning program

revitalize CNN?
BY JESSE HOLCOMB
This week, CNN launched New Day, a three-hour morning program at the center of
the channel’s effort to regain its footing in the world of cable news. To do that, it will
have to compete not only with the major networks, but also with more popular shows
on Fox News Channel and MSNBC.
This is the most high-profile change so far by Jeff Zucker, the new head of CNN
Worldwide, who said he wants New Day to set “the tone and the agenda for the day and
for the entire network.” The new program, which Washington Post’s Paul Farhi wrote
“may be key to CNN’s revival,” follows a well-documented slide at the channel
responsible for creating the 24/7 cable news model.
The shift at CNN comes amid signs that there might be a ceiling for audience growth
in the cable news sector. Viewership bumped up slightly during 2012, but did not
receive the normal election year boost and remains below the high point hit in 2009.
Financial growth also has tapered off. (Read more in the 2013 State of the News
Media report).
Though ratings have improved in recent months, CNN’s morning programming
ranked third in viewership in 2012, averaging just 239,000 viewers per day,
compared with 452,000 for MSNBC’s Morning Joe and 1.13 million for Fox’s Fox and
Friends, according to Nielsen Media Research. Other parts of the day look no better.
Continued declines in prime-time viewership, considered the most critical time for
cable news, placed the channel third behind Fox and MSNBC for three years straight.
In 2012, it fell to third place in daytime viewership for the first time.
Last year also brought signs that audience declines would begin to affect revenues.
CNN was estimated to experience a dip in advertising income, while its two
competitors expected to see gains, according to data from SNL Kagan.

There’s more to the story, of course. CNN remains a highly profitable organization,
with a wide digital reach and a sizable international presence; it operates more
bureaus around the world than Fox and MSNBC combined. And in May, the
channel’s previous morning show, Starting Point, averaged 380,000 viewers,
according to Nielsen—not enough to come close to Fox and Friends’ 1.26 million, but
enough to approach MSNBC’s Morning Joe, which drew an average of 387,000.

But the broader pattern of ratings decline—particularly in the crucial evening hours—
was a key reason former NBCUniversal chief Zucker took over in January. Years ago,
both Fox and MSNBC carved out distinct identities in their prime-time programming
and ended up with viewership that surpassed CNN’s. Those two channels have now
done the same with their morning shows.

Viewership figures for New Day’s Monday debut suggest the battle won’t be easy. The
show had 247,000 viewers from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.—a third place finish.
Correction: This post was updated to reflect more comparable Nielsen viewership data
for the cable news morning programs (6 a.m.-9 a.m.). The original post contained data
representing the 6 a.m.-9 a.m. period for Fox News and MSNBC, but the 7 a.m.-9 a.m. period
for CNN.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/20/can-a-new-morning-program-
revitalize-cnn/

Cutbacks at CNN highlight the cable

news paradox
BY JESSE HOLCOMB

To some, the news this week that CNN Worldwide is cutting 8.5% of its workforce at the same time
that it is enjoying a healthy, double-digit profit margin might seem confusing. The original – and
largest – 24-hour news channel is in many ways faring just fine financially.
But a closer look at CNN reveals a larger problem, with cable news business struggling to find its
feet in a shifting media landscape where its audience is not matching up with revenue trends. In
terms of TV viewership, cable news peaked as a medium around the 2008 presidential election
and, while showing impressive potential in digital, the business model is uncertain.
Over the past year (January-September 2014 compared with the same period in 2013), CNN’s
prime-time audience has declined by a quarter to a median viewership of 495,000, according to
Nielsen Media Research data. During the day, the channel has fared better, but is still down 4%
over 2013 levels. Along with declining viewership, research firm SNL Kagan projects that CNN
will experience a dip in advertising revenue of about 5% to $302 million.

But CNN isn’t alone. All three major cable news channels have seen their audiences decline in
recent years. MSNBC’s prime-time viewership has declined 4% over the same period in 2013, and
17% during the day. Fox News Channel, while growing slightly in prime time (2%), has lost 5% of
its daytime audience.

The total prime-time audience for the three channels combined, hovering at around 2.8 million
viewers, amounts to just a fraction of the more than 20 million people who tune in to one of the
three commercial news broadcasts airing on NBC, ABC and CBS each night.
And yet, business — by and large — is still good. Profit margins continue to be staggeringly high,
between 30% and 55%, thanks to the cable system’s dual-stream business model. The news
channels generate revenue from both advertising and license fees, which they receive from cable
companies in exchange for carriage in households. Individual channels regularly renegotiate
those fee rates upward, resulting in business growth even if advertising falters. For 2014,
projections show slight gains in total revenue for each of the news channels — 1% for CNN, 4%
for Fox and 4% for MSNBC.

There are some signs that the cable TV business model is headed for disruption. The number of
Americans (around 100 million) who pay for some form of pay TV, including cable, fell for the
first time in 2013. Meanwhile, eMarketer forecasts robust growth in digital TV viewership on a
variety of devices. As news habits and technology adoption continue to become more digital,
cable news outlets are thinking beyond the main screen.
By this measure, CNN’s digital operation is leading: It had 42 million unique monthly visitors in
2013, according to Nielsen — two-thirds greater than that of Fox News (25 million). Digital may
not yet be where the money is at; CNN Worldwide has said at one point that it accounts for about
10% of its total revenue. But the company is showing that it’s keeping pace with where the
audience is going.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/10/09/cutbacks-at-cnn-highlight-the-cable-
news-paradox/

02:48 PM ET
Americans deeply divided on foreign policy
By Bruce Stokes, Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Bruce Stokes is director of global economic attitudes at the Pew Research Center. The views

expressed are his own.

Michigan Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg’s famous axiom that partisan politics stops at the water’s

edge has always been more an expression of hope than a description of reality. Since he uttered his famous

dictum in the 1940s, Americans have disagreed along ideological lines about a range of international issues:

the Korean War, the Vietnam War, trade with Japan, the Iraq War, relations with China and climate change.

With national debates looming next year over Iran, Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, trade and

China, continued partisan discord is probably unavoidable. What may be different this time is the shear depth

of that partisan divide.

Americans differ in their judgment of the trajectory of the United States on the world stage. Nearly three-

quarters of Republicans and 86 percent of those who agree with the Tea Party (among Republicans and

Independents who lean toward the Republican Party) say the United States plays a less important and
powerful role as a world leader today compared to 10 years ago. Just 33 percent of Democrats agree,

according to a new public opinion survey, “America’s Place in the World,” undertaken by the Pew Research

Center in conjunction with the Council on Foreign Relations.

And this partisan view of an America in decline reflects an even harsher partisan assessment of President

Obama’s handling of U.S. foreign policy. Roughly eight-in-ten of Republicans and 93 percent of Tea Party

adherents disapprove of Obama’s handling of the nation’s foreign policy. Only 24 percent of Democrats

disapprove.

Such ideological differences inhibit bipartisanship on a range of international challenges. In the Pew

Research survey, the difference in GOP and Democratic approval of Obama’s handling of these issues
averages 41 percentage points.

Republicans and Tea Party sympathizers are more likely than Democrats to cite Iran as the greatest danger

to the United States, while just 17 percent of the GOP and 6 percent of Tea Partyites agree with President

Obama’s handling of Iran, compared with 62 percent of Democrats.

In contrast, three-quarters of Democrats approve of the way the president has dealt with international

terrorism, while only a third of Republicans and 17 percent of Tea Party sympathizers agree.

Such differences extend to the issue of climate change, with 59 percent of the members of the president’s

party supporting his handling of this contentious issue, compared with just 18 percent of Republicans and 4

percent of those who align with the Tea Party sharing that support.

A conference brokered by the United States to try to end the Syrian civil war begins in January in Geneva.

But on the eve of that event there is no bipartisan support for Obama’s Syria policy. Just 13 percent of
Republicans and half that percentage of Tea Party sympathizers back the White House’s handling of the

issue, compared with roughly half of Democrats.

Similarly, the United States faces an increasingly contentious relationship with China that is strongly divided

along partisan lines. American antipathy toward China is on the rise, underscored by the fact that two-thirds

of the GOP have an unfavorable view of China, as do three-quarters of Tea party supporters. And while about

half of Democrats* approve of the president’s handling of China policy, only 13 percent of Republicans and 7

percent of Tea Party adherents do.

Notably, the public generally agrees on the preferable U.S. posture toward the rest of the world: they want a

more inward looking America. They say, without significant partisan difference, that the United States should

mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own. And

they agree that President Obama should focus on domestic policy not foreign policy.

But once the public focuses on discreet international issues, strong partisanship emerges. Vandenberg’s

hope is far from Obama’s reality.

*The article originally stated that half of Americans approve of the president’s handling of China policy, but has been

corrected to note that this number actually applies to the share of Democrats.
Post by:CNN's Jason Miks

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/20/americans-deeply-divided-on-foreign-
policy/