CNN Audio Caters To Its Audience By Leaning On Their Expert Voices

CNN has long been known worldwide for its expansive journalism and news first approach to television and print journalism, but starting this year, CNN Audio launched and is quickly becoming a destination for podcast journalism as well.

Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction with Dr. Sanjay Gupta launched in March and features daily 10 to 15-minute episodes on critical information about COVID-19 from the lack of testing to contact tracing and all the latest developments about the deadly virus.

Politically Sound is a weekly half-hour show hosted by CNN Political Director David Chalian and CNN Senior Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson that just started August 21 and aims to look at the big picture of politics and how it affects all of our lives.

Silence is Not an Option with Don Lemon is a weekly show on Thursdays that launched June 18 about what it’s like to be a black or brown person in America and how having these difficult conversations about it can be a bridge forward in our country.

Great Big Story hosted by Drew Beebe is an investigative journalism show with a goal to uplift the spirits by focusing on untold stories like the invention of the super soaker and a profile on Hollywood actor James Hong’s 50 year career with a known face but an unknown name.

CNN Political Briefing is a daily show that started August 17 and aims to give the listener the political news they need in 10 minutes or less and is hosted by David Chalian.

If 10 minutes is more time then you have, then Daily News Briefing offers a rundown of headline news stories in three minutes or less.

I talked to Courtney Cooper of CNN Audio to give me all the news I needed to know about the new CNN Audio department.

On the focus of CNN Audio

We wanted to focus on the audience that might not be tuning in to cable tv, and think about where CNN could be a distinctive, and useful voice to them. We want to lean into our key talent, whether that is Sanjay Gupta, or Don Lemon to use the expertise they have so that we can be that resource for our listeners.

Challenges Faced

There has not been a story as monumental and important to what’s going on then the global pandemic. We saw where CNN fit into the audio landscape and leaned into the expertise that CNN is known for. The audience is coming to us for answers and insight. So everything we do and what we’ve been doing starts with that.

Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction

Host Sanjay Gupta is taking a conversational approach with the issue so he can incorporate his own experience into a conversation with listeners. This way he doesn’t sound rehearsed and calms people down by giving them the information they’re looking for on the key issues of the Coronavirus like masks and public health.

Overall CNN Audio is very different from the cable channel and provides nimble accessible information to people who want it in a clear and focused way that cuts through the noise and provides news and conversation starters for the consumer who needs to stay on top of what’s going on.