Overview
- CNN piloted a podcast-style look, with Jake Tapper hosting The Lead from his office on Friday and Anderson Cooper using a newsroom table with large desk microphones.
- The network described the change as an experiment, and many online reactions and media comments said the shift was cosmetic and distracting.
- Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan mocked the move, with Kelly calling it a “desperate ploy to save their ratings” in a segment on her show.
- Some CNN staffers questioned the fit for anchors like Cooper and Tapper and said the AC360 format went beyond a single night, according to Fox News Digital.
- Industry analysis from TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter linked the trial to streaming ambitions and suggested partnering with independent creators, while broader coverage noted cable news declines and possible ownership changes at CNN’s parent company.