**Election Leaves CNN with Fillers

With the election now finished, will CNN's steady rise in viewership stagger too? Market Watch analysts say yes.

CNN had made the tactical decision of being the top network giving wall-to-wall coverage on the 2008 Presidential Election. Their move proved lucrative and successful as Time Warner's stocks increased and on election night, CNN raked in 12.3 million viewers as opposed to FOX News' cool 9 million (even though FOX has been the leading station in cable news since 2002).

But with the election now over, news analysts are skeptic if CNN can bounce back and maintain their growing viewership. In a frenzy to keep up ratings, CNN is trying other superficial outlets such as entertainment reporting to keep a desperate grasp on a fleeting audience. "CNN has become infamous in TV circles for the many changes to its broadcasting strategy over the years" says Marketwatch analysts.

"CNN seemed more fixated on using gimmicks as a way to thwart Fox"

New Yorker media critic Ken Auletta pointed out: "Cable news networks rarely reach a mass audience, and therefore they seek to find a niche. Each will deny this, but they're spinning like the politicians they cover. Fox's niche is to tilt conservative, and MSNBC's is to tilt liberal. CNN seeks the broader ground between them by claiming to be the true 'fair and balanced' network. Yet they have a populist strain -- think Lou Dobbs -- that contradicts this claim."

Jeffrey Bewkes needs to implement and oversee that CNN sticks to respective news reporting. It's the main angle people know CNN to be and it's the ethical path to take. Sure, it may not compete with FOX's hard-core liberalism or may not generate the most lucrative stock market incentives but it is reliable and trustworthy. I hope CNN realizes that they have a BRAND in the eyes of viewers- the brand as being a fair and politically respectable cable news network, despite the years of wishy-washy broadcasting styles. Many people, including myself, still have trust in the network where it's not too late for CNN to go back to the basics. If they just stay true to unbiased journalism and consistently commit to that image, I'm sure they will slowly gain back many followers that will stay loyal (unlike the fickle entertainment-drive youth).

**No Laughing Matter

CNN's "Magic Wall" is stuff of technological advancement. It is an interactive, live-touch, iPhone-like screen that helps CNN anchors illustrate primary and election results for this year's epic Presidential Election. Formally termed as a Multi-Touch Collaboration Wall, this large 7 and a half foot monitor was developed by Jeff Han and marketed by Perceptive Pixel. The software allows the user to access, manipulate and project data related to current poll results, and election results of the past and present. CNN means serious business with this technology... Only, why are they so keen about making fun of it?

And suddenly CNN has a sense of humor! They are willing to have one of their respected staff run around their offices, interrupting news anchors and disrupting current events, to spoof and highlight their own technology. That's not low at all... It's funny and entertaining...

Too bad I'm not laughing. I feel like CNN is trying WAY too hard to change their image. They are trying to morph their credibility to meet the appeals of a younger crowd. They add entertainment segments like "ShowBiz" and comedy spin-offs like "DL Hughley's Breaking the News" and now, they spoof their own reporters and news office. It just doesn't settle with me. I feel almost uncomfortable watching CNN when they pull stunts like this. It's not what I expect from them when I want to watch REAL news.

CNN's Ground Breaking News

More time-fluff than news, CNN is generating some interesting side stories to report to their viewers.

Hotlinks, a blog on CNN's website, even lists a few sarcastic news segments that CNN has produced in an effort to make fun of themselves. But now I am just confused. Why would a respectable network need to stoop to blogging about their own idiocity? Hotlinks is blog that attempts to reach a growing target audience: the young adult, office working, sarcastic city dwellers that love watching satirical humor such as "The Office" "The Daily Show" and "Family Guy." They want to be "in" with that niche, so they start bashing themselves. It's kind of ironic.

Anyways, they post local, frivolous, "entertainment" news such as the "Chihuahua's Ears Makes Weird Noises"

Or they produced little segments on Cooper Anderson's 360 shot, the man with the "Tallest MoHawk"

More ground breaking footage, just like the above listed can be found in CNN's website with headings like "Man punches Shark" or "Team Jolie VS. Team Aniston."

The "Cool" White House

Obama's presidency heralds a plethora of firsts. He is the first African-American President the U.S. has ever elected. Obama's campaign team was first to realize the change in voter consumerism and has, therefore, influenced a change in campaigning strategy for the future. As President, Obama has first to alleviate the economic struggles that grip the country... And yet, CNN reports and comments on how Obama is the first "cool" President in the White House.

They comment on his fashion, his musical taste in rap, his shades and his basketball skills... But is that really important to even focus on at this point? CNN should stop advertising Obama's "youthful" marketable appeal and focus on covering Obama's first mandates as President. We all know that Barack Obama has more popularity points than McCain or Bush, but we don't need a couple of CNN commentating heads who claim to be 'fashion stylists' to talk about Obama's newest fashion trend or faux-pas.

**Comedy Central on CNN?

I love comedy shows just as much as anyone does. I mean, who doesn’t? But one might question its relevance on CNN- a network that supposedly prides itself on being a dependable source of hard news, and hard news only. In the recent years, CNN has been experiencing an odd transitional phase in which they are incorporating entertainment aspects onto their network. One might ask, “Why?” CNN wants to assimilate with other networks and follow the growing trend of covering infotainment.

CNN's new sketch show, "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," doesn’t quite work. It’s meant to fuse comedy and news, however, it is poorly executed.



According to critic, Candace Montgomery, it will “probably not be on the popular news network for another season… because the comedy show is dull.”

Ironically, the network’s attempt to gain more viewers may have the reverse effect in the end. Montgomery shares, “If CNN executives think hiring Hughley, a comedian whose jokes are more often not funny to many blacks, is going to be accepted by the faithful CNN junkies who patronize the notable network for their unbiased straight talk and hearty news shows, they thought wrong.”

CNN must re-strategize its methods for viewership and ratings, especially if they want their original viewers to remain loyal. What they assume will reel the viewers in, might instead drive them away.

Popularity Contest

Forget the children starving in Africa or child prostitution in third world countries. Apparently, that is not what today’s viewers search for when updating themselves with the “Most popular” news on CNN’s website videos. There are much more important matters on their minds. For instance, “Who’s Miley Cyrus’ new man?” I don’t know what’s more sad; the fact that today’s audience would much rather watch that than something of actual relevance or that fact that CNN actually thought the 15 year old pop star’s love life was worthy of space on their website. I can understand this on channels like KTLA 5 or FOX 11 that have been more on the soft news side for years, but to see this come from a well-respected network like CNN, is shocking.



Competition is fierce between news networks and as a result, the pressure heavily influences which stories the networks choose to feature. Nowadays, the line between entertainment news and hard news is blurring. However, CNN has been a reliable source of hard news for years. So why change now? The people at CNN must ask themselves, “Are we willing to risk ridicule and lose loyal viewers in exchange for incorporating mindless fluff onto our website and network?”

**Jeffrey Bewkes Boosts CNN Advertising

As if adding an entertainment segment wasn't enough to boost consumer viewers, CNN's CEO Jeffrey Bewkes decided to increase advertising within the network.

"Chief Executive Jeffrey Bewkes announced the decision in the company's first-quarter earnings report, which showed strength in advertising sales on cable television networks like CNN and TBS"

Bewkes split off cable services from AOL internet into two separate stocks due to the fact that AOL has experienced a sharp fall in revenue. He plans to boost advertising in the CNN and TBS networks to increase profitablity. Time Warner Inc plans to fully separate its cable services division to refocus as a pure media content company to bolster their ailing stock price.

Revenue at its cable network division rose 10 percent to $2.7 billion, driven by subscription fees and a 13 percent rise in ad sales. "For the first time in six years, CNN beat out News Corp's Fox News in viewership among the 18-49 and 25-54 age groups, during the first quarter," Time Warner's Jeffrey Bewkes said.

I understand the necessity to run a profit driven business, especially when that business is one of the select few who control the US media, but adding more advertising to the already entertainment-starry-eyed CNN network will add to the potency of viewers loosing interest. Advertisements make people feel disconnected to their original televised programs and along with distractions from a growing entertainment segment on CNN, I just feel that it would contribute to a new CNN image that connotates a lesser form of news-reporting.