The Watch: CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip

Few shows in the world of cable news have created as much buzz in recent months as CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.

Just yesterday, the Phillip-led show hit the headlines after national radio host Erick Erickson called it “an embarrassment” and said “CNN should be ashamed of airing it.”

“I don’t want to be a part of it, and the show’s existence makes me question the direction of the entire network as it struggles to find its footing,” Erickson said after mentioning that he had been up for a spot on the jury several times Phillip had been invited before he told his assistant to turn down any offer. “News evening discredits the entire network. I have made the editorial decision of my own radio show to stop broadcasting excerpts from the show because I do not want to give it any attention. I think the show is a cry for help from CNN and if they think this show is a good idea then they don’t need help. They need to be rebuilt. Call John Malone.”

To be honest, I don’t live on an excessive diet of cable news. The programs – whether it’s CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax or NewsNation – are, in my opinion, almost all echo chambers that just parrot talking points in the hope that as many people as possible will join in and say, “Yeah, I agree with that.” “

For this reason, I disagree with Erick Erickson’s summary CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip is “not good. It is neither clever nor perceptive. It’s pretentious and often deeply ignorant.” It’s like my mid-60s mother saying “Taylor Swift sucks…” It’s not designed for someone like Erick Erickson to like.

This may be the biggest criticism of CNN today, as many assume it to be the mediocre cable news network that simply says, “Here’s what’s going on in the world,” as it was in its heyday. But unfortunately for CNN, cable news viewers and the American public, that doesn’t really attract many viewers anymore. If that were the case, networks like HLN wouldn’t be a zombified version of a cable news channel. But I digress.

I thought Phillip’s show was demonstrably okay. I watched the same episode as Erickson on Tuesday, December 3rd. Well, let me take that back. I watched as much of Tuesday’s episode as I could, which in itself is a transgression on CNN’s part. Apparently they don’t want people to watch this show. Is a full replay available on the CNN app on Roku? No. Could I watch the episode on HBO Max? Also no. Maybe it was on CNN.com? Guess again. So I decided to watch most of the show in parts on YouTube. For a network that’s supposedly aiming for a strong digital future, I’d say it still has a long way to go.

But that doesn’t concern Abby Phillip or her show. And the biggest problems I had with the show weren’t their fault either. The camera angles and camera shots used in the show often leave a lot to be desired. For example, the shot below is uncomfortable. It’s a side view of the host, the back of Scott Jennings, and a cluttered side of an awkwardly shaped desk.

Regardless of what conservative radio hosts may say, Abby Phillip is the star of the show. It should be featured prominently and not shot from a side angle, making me wonder if Scott Jennings is using Head & Shoulders.

Furthermore have so many Seeing people on a show at the same time is a recipe for disaster. What is the biggest problem of CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip. There are a lot to talk about each other. This is bound to happen when six people are fighting for airtime, trying to score points, and generally being unable to let anyone get their point across before they want to intervene.

I thought Phillip did a good job as host trying to direct traffic. But this task should be done preventively and not reactively. A moderator can’t wait for the dialogue to descend into so much mumbling that someone has to throw up the proverbial stop sign. At this point it is too late.

To her credit, she also did an excellent job explaining the qualifications to those in attendance. Assuming I had just tuned in, Phillip eloquently noted who New York lawyer Arthur Aidala was and why his opinion on the subject at hand was important. Because in reality, I was just technically “tuning in,” not seeing the explanation of who the assembled panelists were, and wondering, “Why on earth should I care what this guy has to say?” But given his honesty Beliefs explained, it makes perfect sense.

There was a great moment when the panel was divided over the significance of the allegations made against Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and his treatment of women, as well as possible problems with alcohol. Phillip said she saw “no difference” between a spousal relationship and a protected mother-son relationship, to which Aidala pounced like a lawyer and said, “Fine. Your Honor, Objection,” in a light-hearted moment that showed that the situation wasn’t nearly as serious as how many other cable news shows would handle it. Later, Aidala brought up the point of “admit what you can’t deny and deny what you can’t admit” to how Hegseth should handle the allegations, which is the perfect axiom for the situation.

One of the reasons the Phillip-led program works is Scott Jennings’ willingness to enter the “lion’s den” as a token conservative voice. Comments from Jennings have gone viral on social media in recent months, particularly in conservative circles, as he was often outnumbered on the jury. But Jennings is, for lack of a better term, a sensible Republican. He rarely makes outlandish, exaggerated statements to “obtain freedom.” He offers a different point of view, often delivered in a respectful tone and manner, which is a rarity in today’s cable news environment.

Overall, was the show clunky at times? Definitely. Are the camera angles weird? Absolutely. But focusing on the content at hand, I think Abby Phillip asked pointed questions of her panelists, presented interesting counterarguments, and did a good job in what could easily be viewed as a chaotic environment given what I saw.

I didn’t find it CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip to be “embarrassing” or “discrediting” to the network as a whole. I found it compelling and interesting despite its flaws and problems. But then again, that could be because it’s probably aimed much more at someone like me rather than a conservative radio host.

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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s news editor, including bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He was previously the program director and afternoon co-host at 93.1 The Fan in Lima, Ohio, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Contact him at [email protected].