In an era when traditional media is shrinking, Kaitlan Collins, at least, will have more to do.
CNN gave the anchor of its 9 p.m. hour the title of chief White House correspondent, a maneuver that will have her scrambling for the latest news on the Trump administration even as she tries to maintain a pivotal primetime slot on the Warner Bros. Discovery outlet’s schedule.
“Kaitlan Collins is the perfect person to lead coverage of the new Trump White House, even as she continues to anchor her key primetime show The Source,” said CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson, in a statement. “Kaitlan is a political journalist of real depth and tenacity who already boasts an amazing record of scoops and exclusive interviews. I’m excited to see what new heights she scales as she combines this key new posting with her duties as a major CNN anchor.”
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In expanding Collins’ duties, CNN helps to make the case that a modern TV-news anchor has to do more than simply hold forth from the studio. More news outlets want to show their anchors in the field, working their contacts, and updating stories in real time, hoping such actions evoke a sense of authenticity and transparency with a younger generation of viewers who are more at home getting news and information from unvarnished video sources such as YouTube or TikTok.
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The announcement also adds fuel to Collins’ quick rise at CNN, which she joined in 2017 after a stint at the conservative-leaning website The Daily Caller. In her short tenure, Collins has become a “face” of CNN much like Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer or Jake Tapper.
Since her arrival, she has served as a White House correspondent, then the White House chief. She was moved to co-anchor an ill-fated morning program in 2022, then moved to anchor a new 9 p.m. program called “The Source.” CNN has worked to make the hour a conduit for breaking news and scoops, with Collins referring to her guests as “my source.” In recent weeks, since the 2024 presidential election, Collins has been stationed close to President-elect Donald Trump’s Florida headquarters, often relying breaking news about his choices for Cabinet positions.
She has experience sparring with Trump and his handlers — and not just at White House press briefings.In May 2023, Collins moderated a live town hall with Trump — his first town hall-style event of the 2024 presidential campaign. CNN was criticizes for its production of the event, which had live supporters of Trump often calling out as Collins tried to interview him. Trump also worked to steamroll his interviewer, rarely pausing to be interrogated and returning questions with garrulous responses.
