CNN hosts LARP as podcasters as ratings continue to plummet

As CNN's ratings continue to fall, the hosts have appeared to be moving toward a production format that looks more like a podcast and less like a broadcast news station. Host Jake Tapper was recording a show from his office chair, and Anderson Cooper was speaking from a desk mic with rolled-up sleeves.

Dylan Byers at Puck observed, "CNN has been experimenting with new formats this week, including Anderson in rolled-up sleeves, massive desk microphones, and a physical map, channeling early Edward R. Murrow-era broadcast.... Experiment will continue today with Jake Tapper broadcasting from his office."

Tapper said that the move to the office was an "experiment" with the new format. This comes as CNN has also been falling in its ratings. According to an analysis from AdWeek, CNN experienced a month-to-month decline in viewership in the month of February, declining by 3 percent overall with adults 25-54, while Fox News and MSNOW have increased gains in viewership.

Podcast host Dan Wootton said on X, "CNN having its anchors cosplay as podcasters is one of the surest signs yet that the MSM is dead. No one buys this. It isn't going to work. But, f*ck me, it's funny to watch the long slow march towards total irrelevance."

Jack Posobiec mocked the move from Tapper, saying, "Jake neurotically craves the excessive tchotchkes and posters to uphold his decades-long con of covering up the fact that he is completely empty inside and is terrified of anyone finding out (we all know)."

The moves appear to be a formatting experiment by the outlet to become more similar to alternative media shows often seen in the podcast realm. The laxer look is what you get on shows like the Joe Rogan Experience, Human Events Daily, and other podcasts where hosts talking about the news are not as cookie-cutter in comparison to news broadcasts, where hosts are often seen at a broadcast desk with a suit and tie.