CNN's John King says he doesn't have to give up objectivity to woo cable viewers

CNN anchor John King may be known for the ease with which he navigated the network’s interactive “magic wall” during last year’s presidential race, but the longtime Associated Press reporter describes himself as “a dinosaur.”

“I don’t think you have to give up your objectivity and give up being a reporter to be part of a very lively, provocative, feisty conversation about the issues of the day, as long as it is built around facts and information,” he said Thursday in an interview from Montana, as he was headed to a local diner to interview customers. “I think people are hungry for it. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

CNN is doubling-down on that notion by giving King the daily hourlong time slot that had been occupied by host Lou Dobbs, who abruptly resigned from the network Wednesday. In replacing the populist commentator with a veteran newsman like King, network officials are furthering distancing the operation from the kind of opinionated programming that has lifted the prime-time fortunes of Fox News and MSNBC.

The move is a gamble. After enjoying ballooning viewership during the 2008 race, CNN has seen its prime-time ratings fall by a quarter this year. In October, it recorded its smallest audience of 2009, barely beating sister network HLN to avoid placing fourth in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic.

King will have to work to build viewership for the 4 p.m. hour that Dobbs hosted, a key time period that leads into the network’s prime-time block on the East Coast. In October, “Lou Dobbs Tonight” attracted just 631,000 viewers on average, placing third behind a repeat of MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”

King, CNN’s chief national correspondent, acknowledged that he faced “a huge challenge,” but said he’s not going fret about the ratings.

“That’s not my job,” said the 46-year-old. “My job is to put an interesting, informative and hopefully thought-provoking and fun program on the air. And if people like it, they will come. ... If it’s not working, they’ll come tap me on the shoulder someday and say, ‘You know what, this isn’t working.’”

“You look around at so many big issues that are front and center right now -- if we can’t find a way to make them interesting for people, then they should tap me on the shoulder and I should go back to tending bar or moving pianos or something,” added King, who did both to put himself through college at the University of Rhode Island.

A veteran political reporter, King has covered six presidential elections, many for the AP, where he worked as chief political correspondent before joining CNN in 1997. His new program, which will launch in the beginning of 2010, will have the sharp political focus he brings to his current assignment, anchoring a four-hour Sunday morning block called “State of the Union.” (He plans to continue hosting that until sometime next year.)

King vowed not to let his new program succumb to inside-the-Beltway conversations, noting that he travels to a different state each week for his current show. “I’ve worked in Washington for 20 years, so I’m part of the problem,” he said. “But I also get out of Washington as much as I can, and I just think that sometimes we forget to connect what’s being done in Washington to the lives of people, to make it relevant.”

One of the ways King hopes to do that is with the use of CNN’s “magic wall,” a massive screen that he employed deftly during the 2008 campaign to quickly zero in on voting districts, demographics and voting breakdowns. This year, he has used the panel to illustrate other stories, such as the hometowns of the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“You can use this technology to make it more accessible, to bring people closer,” he said. “Smart people realize that things are changing and we have to adapt. But we don’t have to give up our principles and give up our passion.”

-- Matea Gold

Comments

[Putra Shrimakananda]

There is nothing objective about left-wing extremist anti-American CNN and even worse CNN international.
There is little objective about these pieces about CNN in the LA bygone times either.

[John]

If I read one more propaganda piece about CNN being objective I will scream
CNN is typical Blind Pro-Obama Democratic tool

Oh yeah the situation room( " Jack Cafferty and Btliz) is real objective insulting Palin and critiquing an snl skit

The reason they are in last place because they are splitting the Liberal viewers

[Bill in San Diego]

Putra, your comment is silly. Name calling doth not an argument make. I suppose you think anyone who disagrees with you is "anti-American?" Spare me. :)

[emm305]

Well, thanks for the warning about that dumb screen.
I now know I won't be watching.
CNN, with screaching, screaming, high pitched pompous dimwits like Rick Sanchez, Wolf Blitzer and that Tony guy reading viewer emails - reading viewer emails???
How crazy is that?
If ratings are down it, it's because of the lack of news, replaced by reading viewer emails and the big, dumb screen!!!!

[Houston]

WOW ! Replace an OPEN birther with a CLOSET birther. At least John King won't continue to go to DINERS in all fifty
states just to put people on TV who HATEFULLY speak out against President Obama.------WOW! big change !!

[jeff]

How does john king differ from all the other anchors on cnn?How will his show differ?CNN shows are all one long boring snore fest.Whats the difference between Anderson cooper,campbell brown,wolf blitzer etc?they are all dull and un informative.Different faces, same show.How about making 1 show out of all their shows that deals with just one or two subjects for the entire show?Subjects of an international scope.despite healthcare being such a hot topic here,I have never seen a show on cnn that deals with how healthcare works so well in other countries.Or on govt lobbyists.How about real journalism for a change?Is one real show per day too much to ask for?Anderson cooper,campbell brown,wolf blitzer showed us their abilities with "balloon boy" wall-to-wall coverage.Isnt time for change at cnn and other media?

[ron shapley]

Emm... your comments hit the nail on the perverbial head... Now I wish we could do the same to those CNN anchors who are so caught up in their own celebrity.... The "news" is gone from CNN or any so called news outlet..blinded by, as you say, reading viewer emai...and blah...blah...blah........ Can't we go back to the Evening news broadcasts only. It makes alot more sense..

rs

[Brittanicus]

If John King , a previous White House journalist is taking over from Lou, he better not muffle free-speech on the illegal immigration invasion. I will watch just one program, to see if King hasn't been brain-washed by the Democratic "Fair Doctrine" secret law or the ability to speak out on everything. Then we have this "politically correct" asinine garbage, stopping people from speaking their mind. Just God help America and survival, owing to our corrupt government that is pushing the US worker into a corner, giving preference to foreign national labor. ME? I guess this is the last time I'll be taking an hour in the afternoon. Having lost Lou, this we give me more times to draft blogs about the illegal alien occupation of our nation?

If Lou Dobb's takes upon himself to join the ugly battle to commence on illegal immigration reform. There are rumors that he might finally fight an incumbent politician with a real chance of winning. He has a huge following of conservatives, republicans and Independents who are ready to join the war against the open border fanatics.

Without Lou Dobb's, Glenn Beck, O'Reilly commentary Americans would never know about the cloaked agenda of the open border zealots. We would never know that the quasi government agency Council of Foreign Relations and the Federal Reserve banks are not in the best interests of the majority of the American nation. CFR main agenda is to flood America with the free stream of cheap foreign workers, as in Europe? brought the un-exaggerated truth about the 20 to 30 million illegal immigration invasion from every corner of the world?

I watch CNN (cable) every day and never heard journalists mention anything about any specific indigenous people regarding the illegal immigration occupancy of our country. He only talk about the gigantic difference who came as newcomers, honestly through the inspection process and do not expect financial government handouts. Not stealing into America like thieves in the night, demanding rights and respect, that is laughable in the eyes of the majority of the legal population.

Some new immigrants wait in line for their visa to enter America, not make excuses because they cheated US workers of their jobs. Go home and come through the front door to be welcomed. Americans all live by the "Rule of Law" so why should people who overstay their tourist visa or just slip by the Border Patrol expect a welcome? Journalist, news-anchors has a right to speak his mind and the US populace will fight any restrictions that deny that right. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." Now these ethnic caucuses are pushing to silence Not that the Liberal-Marxists in the Democratic leadership follow the law, anyway? They swear to protect and defend Americans from enemies Domestic and foreign and then intentionally under-fund the--REAL--border fence. Why don't these illegal aliens go home and try shoving this opinion down the throats of other world governments. NOT IN AMERICA?

My guess is that the perpetrators who let loose on Lou's home and family, were illegal alien gang members, who get away with bloody murder every day. Just look towards the--SANCTUARY CITIES--of San Francisco and Los Angeles. If you have the fire-power of these heinous gang bangers, you too would be intimidated? Pity Mr. Dobb's was not in Sheriff Joe's jurisdiction in Arizona, because he would have taken them out. We have persecutors and chief of police, who turn a blind eye to illegal alien and criminals. IF THE POLITICIANS WANT TO FORCE UPON US ANOTHER AMNESTY. LET US ADOPT WORD-FOR-WORD, MEXICO'S IMMIGRATION LAWS?