The Hollywood Reporter – July 31, 2019

Behind the Headlines

The Report

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 12 JULY 31, 2019

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network to where Republicans

wouldn’t immediately turn the

channel,” one prominent GOPer

claims. “I think he accomplished

that, and now he’s alienated

them all again. There have been

several people who have told me,

‘I’m not coming on CNN. There’s

no upside.’ ”

Former CBS News president

Andrew Heyward says CNN is

“programming for political junk-

ies,” delivering a serving of

news and analysis to an audience

that is “almost insatiably hun-

gry” for it. Heyward adds, “They

have a great array of experts

across the spectrum. If it looks

to some extent like it’s a sporting

event, that’s how the candidates

treat it too.”

Zucker, Heyward says, already

has answered for criticism about

the network’s 2016 coverage.

“They will not be glomming on to

a candidate and giving him or her

the kind of ride that Trump got,”

he says. “They’re aware that that

was excessive. That isn’t going to

happen again.”

While the network is still mired

in third place in primetime and

total viewers, it remains profit-

able. AT&T’s Turner division — a

segment that includes TNT, TBS

and CNN — posted $6.98 billion

in revenue in 2018 on the strength

of ad sales and carriage fees. The

network committed to bringing

about 500 staffers (including

programmers, hosts, journalists

and analysts) to Michigan ahead

of the network’s first debate of the

2020 presidential cycle.

Smolkin, who oversees CNN’s

digital political coverage, says

this cycle will be different from

2016. “This is our first full elec-
      tion cycle as the CNN Politics
      team,” she says. “Last cycle, we
      were brand new and just getting
      started. That was a huge chal-
      lenge and a steep learning curve
      for a brand-new team, and we
      were focused on — honestly —
      the basics of coverage. Now,

we’re in a vastly different place

as a team.”

Detroit presents a hard-fought,

high-stakes chance for the entire

CNN apparatus — linear and digi-

tal — to set the tone for the rest of

the election cycle, observers say.

“This is a real opportunity for us

to introduce these candidates to

our audiences and to offer smart

coverage about these candidates

and where they stand on these

issues,” Smolkin says. But, notes

former NBC News executive Mark

Lukasiewicz, “A 20-candidate

event is an enormous challenge,

logistically and technologically.”

Candidate Delaney, who

complained about the number

of questions he received in NBC

News’ first debate, says CNN has

run an “on-the-level process.”

But Sanders’ campaign manager,

Shakir, adds bluntly, “Let’s not

fool ourselves into thinking that

these two-hour debates as they

stand are helping move a policy

conversation.”

campaigns will be substan-
tive, despite what critics fear.
In September, CNN will host a
town hall focused exclusively
on climate change, an issue that
progressive Democrats feel has
gotten short shrift so far.
Democratic presidential
candidates such as former con-
gressman John Delaney praise
CNN for hosting some 25 town
hall events to date, far more than
rivals MSNBC and Fox News.
“They’ve given everyone a town
hall, and what more can you ask?”
Delaney says. “Other networks
have done town halls for just a
small number of candidates, and I
think that’s terrible.”
CNN perpetually faces charges
of “both sideserism” for hiring
contributors to defend the presi-
dent and fight with designated
liberals, though conservatives
who know the network say they’re
disappointed that their ilk slowly
has been disappearing from
the airwaves. Through churn,
controversies and presidential
appointments, the stable of
pro-Trump commentators has
thinned considerably, with Steve
Cortes, lobbyist David Urban and
former Sen. Rick Santorum seen
as the predominant warriors
remaining. “When Jeff came
in, he was trying to change the

U.S. adults are split on stars’ campaigning for Democrats, and many aren’t swayed by celebrity causes, a new survey finds

How Americans See Hollywood’s Political Donor Class

Source: THR/Morning Consult poll conducted July 19-21 from a national sample of 2,200 adults. Responses don’t add up to 100 percent.

THR/

Morning

Consult

Poll

CNN’s Top-Rated Democratic Candidate Town Halls

Kamala

Harris

(Jan. 28)

1.95M

Howard

Schultz

(Feb. 12)

1.02M

Amy

Klobuchar

(Feb. 18)

1.15M

Bernie

Sanders

(Feb. 25)

1.35M

Elizabeth

Warren

(March 22)

1.09M

Kamala

Harris

(March 22)

1.44M

Bernie

Sanders

(Feb. 22)

1.34M

Elizabeth

Warren

(Feb. 22)

1.18M

Pete

Buttigieg

(Feb. 22)

1.179M

Source: Nielsen (live + same day)

Would you keep buying

products from an entertainment

company if you found out that

its executives had political opinions

that differ from your own?

YES NO APPROPRIATE INAPPROPRIATE YES NO APPROPRIATE INAPPROPRIATE

Have you ever donated or

volunteered for a cause because a

celebrity encouraged you to?

How appropriate is it for

a celebrity to campaign for a

Democratic politician?

Do you think it is appropriate

for an actor or musician to criticize

Donald Trump publicly?

18-29 30-44 45-54 55-64 65+

66%

22%

47%

13%

72%

50%

39%38%37%41% 40%35%

26%27%31%

76%76%

85%88%

28%

44%

12%

31%

45%

11%

36%

47%

4%

33%

64%

53%

38%

50%

5%

39%

25%31%30%

55%55%