By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-25 21:27:37 | Updated at 2024-11-25 23:25:40
2 hours ago
CNN is mulling making Kaitlan Collins its chief White House correspondent, a new report has claimed.
The potential move - said to be still be in 'discussions' - comes amid rampant rumors of lay-offs at the network to save its flailing reputation.
The possible shakeup was reported Monday by Semafor. The publication said it spoke with two people familiar with the matter.
The talks, they said, are part of a greater plan to overhaul CNN's political coverage. The shift will reportedly seek to lean into the spectacle of Donald Trump's second presidency, as opposed to shying away from it.
Collins has surfaced as a clear candidate thanks to connections garnered from her days as a White House reporter during Trump's first term, both sources said.
Credentials include a three-year stint as a Trump-era White House reporter with the Daily Caller, and continued coverage with CNN that actually saw her barred from a Trump press conference after asking a series of questions about Vladimir Putin.
The 2018 incident in the Oval Office paved the way for a faceoff between the two at a town hall last year, where Trump branded Collins, now 32, 'a nasty woman.'
A year-and-a-half later, she is in West Palm Beach covering the president-elect once more, after also serving as CNN's chief correspondent for Joe Biden's White House.
CNN is reportedly mulling making Kaitlan Collins, 32, its chief White House correspondent, according to two people familiar with the matter. The talks, they said, are part of a greater plan to overhaul CNN's political coverage
Collins, thanks to connections garnered from her days as a reporter during Trump's first term, has surfaced as a clear candidate, the insiders told Semafor
She, like several other members of the media, has been camped out there for days, as Trump continues to hold court from his compound in Mar-a-Lago.
The Semafor piece further stated how there's been some 'internal buzz' surrounding the prospective shuffle within the network's DC bureau, which has already been graced with a new boss in the form of DC bureau chief David Chalian.
Chalian previously served as Yahoo! News' Washington bureau boss, but was fired from after he was caught on a hot mic saying then-candidate Mitt Romney was 'not concerned at all' and 'happy to have a party with black people drowning' during Hurricane Isaac.
He went on to head CNN's political coverage from 2014 until this past week, when he was tapped to oversee the network’s D.C. bureau and all of CNN’s Washington political news coverage.
This comes in addition to his role as overseer of CNN’s daily political reporting across all platforms, where he is also in charge of the editorial content for special political programming.
He will also remain CNN’s political director in his new role, as 'multiple' insiders disclaimed to Semafor that the network hasn’t made any other official decisions yet.
If the move surrounding Collins goes through, she and her eponymous primetime show - currently being broadcast out of Florida - would have to relocate from New York to Washington.
Any programming changes or staffing beyond the appointment were not detailed.
The potential move was reported Monday. The publication said it spoke with two people familiar with the high-level talks, who said execs have honed in on Collins history as a Trump-era White House reporter with the Daily Caller and continued coverage with CNN
Collins also served as CNN's chief correspondent for Joe Biden's White House, after several clashes with his predecessor
The most notable - and likely the reason for former CEO Chris Licht's ouster - was a widely seen faceoff between the two at a town hall last year, where Trump branded Collins 'a nasty woman.' The event saw CNN criticized for alleged bias and an unprofessional line of questioning
Collins, meanwhile, is in the midst of a meteoric rise that has seen her rub shoulders with not one but two administrations, all while surfacing as a new recognizable face.
Today, she commands a salary of $3million, and has, for a little more than a year, hosted The Source with Kaitlan Collins on primetime.
The show airs on weekdays between Anderson Cooper 360° and CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, the latter of which has occasionally performed better in ratings despite being in a later timeslot.
By appointing her to the new position, CNN is attempting to mimic success seen during Trump’s first term, when coverage of the president drew record numbers on a nightly basis.
Doing so with a journalist who has a checkered history with the conservative is akin to 'walk[ing] a tightrope', the Semafor report conceded when it comes to Trump coverage - pointing to CNN's old approach of mostly panning the then-president.
CNN boss Mark Thompson has made it clear the station's new mission is to not default toward anti-Trump coverage, in contrast to former CNN president Jeff Zucker.
Replacement Chris Licht attempted the same, but was fired after less than a year in June 2023 following a series of layoffs and a botched town hall that coincidentally had been headed by Collins.
The latter has been pegged as one of the primary reasons for Licht's ouster, as it was widely panned for Collins' hapless efforts to fact-check the president.
The architect of the reported shuffle is reportedly CEO Mark Thompson, who was hired late last summer to right a sinking ship following the failures of predecessor Licht, who was fired after less than a year after promising to air impartial coverage
The news also comes as veteran anchors Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer were reportedly recently denied raises - after already raking in salaries of $3million and $7million, respectively
Veteran news anchor Chris Wallace has also left CNN after several years - and after making an $7million salary. Insiders previously said they were pondering a pay-cut for the 77-year-old
Collins, despite being a relative newcomer, remains not far behind, with a take-home of $3million. She is currently in West Palm Beach covering the president-elect
As a result, the live event teetered on the edge of chaos, and days after it wrapped, spawned a 15,000-word profile in The Atlantic from journalist, Tim Alberta, who called into serious question Licht’s ability to lead the organization.
Within the week, Licht was fired, after finding success leading 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' and producing MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe'.
Meanwhile, the widely criticized town hall did succeed in one thing showcase a reporter Licht had sought to elevate into a star in Collins.
Within months, her then-new prime-time show would air as planned, and it continues to do so to mixed ratings.
And while a recently-instilled Thompson is reportedly working hard to correct the climate left by his predecessors, ratings have fallen more than 20 percent in the year since.
A particularly pronounced drop-off was seen the Thursday after the election, when the network's numbers fell from 6million daily viewers Tuesday to just 596,000
Fox News, meanwhile, remained the top choice for viewers on the big night and well after, after averaging 10.3 million on Tuesday, and a total of 2.6million viewers Thursday.
The latter was more than 10 times what MSNBC had achieved, and even more when compared to CNN.
By appointing her to the new position, CNN is attempting to mimic success seen during Trump’s first term, when coverage of the president drew record numbers on a nightly basis, insiders said
Doing so with a journalist who has a checkered history with the conservative is akin to 'walk[ing] a tightrope', the Semafor report conceded when it comes to Trump coverage - pointing to CNN's old approach of mostly panning the then-president
As of writing, the move was reportedly still being talked out - as Collins' star continues to rise
Days earlier, The Ankler reported that officials had been mulling a pay cut for Wallace, who had been making $7 million-a-year.
Puck was reportedly told by insiders that Wallace was told by CNN brass that his two struggling shows would be nixed and his salary clashed if he would sign on for another year.
Meanwhile, famous faces like Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett are taking home annual salaries of $20million and $6million, respectively.
Collins, despite being a relative newcomer, remains not far behind.
