{"id":7989018,"date":"2026-03-30T06:20:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/?p=7989018"},"modified":"2026-03-30T06:21:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:21:16","slug":"journalism-future-chuck-todd-chris-cillizza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/media-platforms\/journalism\/journalism-future-chuck-todd-chris-cillizza\/","title":{"rendered":"The Media Front: Access, Authenticity and the Hybrid Journalist Era"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

\u201cI always said what I believe,\u201d Chuck Todd told me of his time at NBC News, \u201cbut was I careful how I said it because I didn’t want to f\u2013k up a booking for \u2018Today\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd was speaking hypothetically about morning-show bookings, but also candidly about the inherent tensions journalists face inside large news organizations, where access and internal politics are part of the equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you’re at a network and you are collaborating with multiple shows, you are a cog \u2014 part of a larger ecosystem,\u201d he said. If you want to “just sort of strut your stuff,\u201d he added, \u201cthat can hurt everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd was no mere cog during his nearly two decades at the network, having held several high-profile roles: \u201cMeet the Press\u201d moderator, chief White House correspondent, chief political analyst and host of MSNBC\u2019s \u201cThe Daily Rundown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now he’s on his own.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mehdi\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tRead Next<\/strong>
\n\t\t\tOn Substack, TV News Personalities Find a 2nd \u2014 and Successful \u2014 Life<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I spoke with Todd and other TV news stars who\u2019ve gone independent, including former CNNers Jim Acosta and Chris Cillizza, as CNN faces scrutiny for importing elements of creator culture (big microphones, more casual dress) into the cable channel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prevailing opinion was that the move came across as contrived. And at a time when trust in media has reached historic lows \u2014 just 28% per Gallup \u2014 the stakes are especially high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAuthenticity is the name of the game in the media world now,\u201d Cillizza said. \u201cBeing authentic means people trust you. And people who trust you will follow you wherever you go \u2014 and maybe even pay for your content.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a dizzying moment in media. Faces long recognizable to TV viewers \u2014 Tucker Carlson, Piers Morgan, Megyn Kelly, Don Lemon \u2014 are now part of the insurgency of independent operators.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Don\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tRead Next<\/strong>
\n\t\t\tDon Lemon Is Not a Fan of CNN Trying to Make Its Shows Look Like Podcasts: 'So Cringe' | Video<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are trying to look like us,\u201d Morgan, a former CNN host, said of current CNN hosts Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, in conversation with Kelly, a former Fox News anchor, on her show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Trump\u2019s FCC chair, Brendan Carr, framed<\/a> Todd and Acosta leaving TV news at CPAC on Friday as victories in the president\u2019s crusade \u201cfake news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not like current cable hosts aren\u2019t also active in the podcast space; Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Chris Hayes, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels all have shows, which sometimes cross over into linear broadcasting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Wallace\u2019s \u201cThe Best People\u201d is posted on YouTube, as expected, but has also aired on the cable channel. In addition, MS NOW partnered last month with Crooked Media, bringing highlights from its podcasts into weekend programming, and its parent company, Versant, is in talks to acquire Vox Media\u2019s podcast network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line between independent and institutional is already blurring. As Corbin Bolies reports<\/a>, journalists with strong followings are striking out on their own while still leveraging large media outlets for reach and resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech journalist Joanna Stern, for one, recently left The Wall Street Journal to launch a Beehiiv-backed newsletter, \u201cNew Things,\u201d while later partnering with NBC News. \u201cWe want people who can bring expertise, credibility and audience and, of course, alignment with our standards,\u201d NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein told TheWrap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Todd, since going independent, has dipped a toe back into television. He and Cillizza did a \u201cManningCast\u201d-style broadcast during last month\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d on YouTube, though in partnership with C-SPAN<\/a>, which provided the feed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is always what we should have been doing on regular television, but we thought it was rude or we thought it wasn\u2019t right,\u201d Todd said. \u201cEssentially, we broke our version of the fourth wall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CBS News\u2019 struggle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bolies breaks down CBS News\u2019 ratings, as its marquee morning show and evening newscast continue to struggle under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCBS Evening News\u201d is on pace for its lowest ratings since October in both total viewers and the 25-54 age demographic, while \u201cCBS Mornings\u201d is also on track to hit its lowest total-viewer numbers since October after a steady decline throughout the year\u2019s first quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out all the numbers: \u201cThe New CBS News Drives New Ratings Lows | Charts\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CNN\u2019s podcast play<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CNN adopting the visual trappings of the creator economy \u2014 and the white hot trend of video podcasting \u2014 comes as it seeks to boost its digital and streaming offerings, such as CNN All Access <\/a>amid linear TV decline. The cable stalwart is also grappling with an aging audience and the challenge of maintaining viewers outside of peak moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But trying to imitate a vibe that is wholly different from its core identity in a naked bid to appeal to wider audiences only invites criticism and misses the point of how these independent journalists built their followings. Several TV news stars now working independently told TheWrap that legacy networks should seek ways to innovate, but not at the expense of diluting their core brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople really depend on CNN to be CNN,\u201d Jim Acosta, a former CNN anchor, told TheWrap. \u201cDon\u2019t lose sight of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My full piece: CNN\u2019s Podcast Play Captures Cable News at an Awkward Crossroads | Analysis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The news media hybrid <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bolies writes how NBC News\u2019 arrangement with newly independent tech reporter Joanna Stern speaks to a new model for journalists exploring alternative career paths in a changing media landscape, one that may provide editorial independence with institutional support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got to decide what level of risk they want to take, and with some people, having that side deal helps,\u201d veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher, who has deals with both Vox Media and CNN, tells TheWrap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey might do it for marketing reasons. They might do it for extra money reasons. They might do it for safety reasons, and so everyone\u2019s got to sort of pick and choose how much they want to do by themselves and how much they want just a little bit of help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out Bolies\u2019 sharp look at an emerging trend: The New Hybrid Journalist: Independent Operators, Big Media Reach<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

New York Times, Pentagon back in court<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A federal judge ordered the New York Times and the Defense Department to return to a Washington D.C. courtroom on Monday for a hearing on the paper\u2019s motion to compel the Pentagon to comply with last week\u2019s ruling that its press policy is unconstitutional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon said in court papers Friday that it is complying with last week\u2019s order, and accused the Times of mischaracterizing its revised press policy. The arguments scheduled for Monday are the latest in a months-long legal battle over press access to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catch up on what the Times, Pentagon and the Pentagon Press Association are arguing<\/a> ahead of Monday\u2019s oral arguments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n