# CNN's Engagement Party pushes culture over hard news

> Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro's podcast shows how CNN is betting on creators, culture, and casual authority to rebuild trust.
- Title: CNN's Engagement Party pushes culture over hard news · Adweek
- Summary: Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro's podcast shows how CNN is betting on creators, culture, and casual authority to rebuild trust. CNN is shifting from…
- Keywords: cnn, engagement party, audie cornish, ari shapiro, podcasts, warner bros discovery, guy griggs, brandweek, npr, anderson cooper, creator formats, media strategy
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/media/cnn-engagement-party-audie-cornish-ari-shapiro-creators-culture-brandweek
- Author: Mark Stenberg
- Published: 2026-09-16T08:56:47+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cnn, engagement party, audie cornish, ari shapiro, podcasts, warner bros discovery, guy griggs, brandweek, npr, anderson cooper, creator formats, media strategy
## CNN pivots to culture and creators
The network is embracing audio, video, and direct-to-consumer products. Engagement Party, a pop-culture podcast, represents this shift away from traditional news formats.
## From NPR banter to CNN podcast
Cornish and Shapiro spent years cracking each other up off-mic at NPR. They finally convinced CNN to let them record those conversations as Engagement Party in May.

> We would be very formal introducing a story about Syria or presidential politics, and the mic would turn off, and then we would just make each other cackle.
## Hosts, not anchors
The duo prefers the term 'host' over 'anchor' to signal casual authority. Their multi-decade friendship creates chemistry that makes audiences see them as people, not institutional voices.

> What is the host? The host of the party.
## Learning to have opinions
Shifting from objective reporting to commentary was an adjustment. Shapiro says the hardest part was learning to render a verdict instead of just facilitating one.

> It's hard for me to get comfortable with saying, 'I don't like a thing.'
## Anderson Cooper as the model
Cooper balances gravitas as an anchor with hosting a grief podcast and partying on New Year's Eve. He exemplifies the new dimensionality CNN expects from on-air talent.
## Engagement beats impressions for advertisers
Brands now prioritize engagement over raw reach. Shows with trusted, relatable hosts deliver better advertiser value than traditional news programming.

> We're going to push as far as we can, until basically our boss or S&P says absolutely not.
## Key takeaway

CNN is shifting from traditional news anchors to relatable hosts who blend culture and news, prioritizing audience engagement over raw impressions.