Question of the Weekend…
Who, in your opinion, is the best news anchor or reporter at CNN and why?
December 2, 2006
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Probably John Roberts, though he’s essentially relegated to substitute host and specials. Persistent in questioning, he never bullies the guest and seek attention. Solid anchor skills, obviously. “Understated” is not a marketable industry quality.
Wolf Blitzer is a much better reporter than show host (not that you asked).
The most underrated stand-up reporter is Elaine Quijano, covering the White House. Flair isn’t her essence, just getting it right and telling it well. She can ad-lib on a dime on any tangent the anchor throws out.
On HLN, the nod goes to Robin Meade and Chuck Roberts with different assets in different timeslots.
Comment by steve — December 2, 2006 @ 2:24 pm
This is a tough question for me to answer.CNN has an abundance of excellent reporters covering so many different parts of the world. There are a few duds but over all I think they have the most talented reporters of any of the news cable networks. As far as anchors go I’d have to pick Anderson Cooper mainly because of his excellent out in the field reporting. Blitzer is excellent also.Lou Dobbs has become too opiniated for my liking.I don’t watch news for opinion but for the facts.
Comment by Anon — December 2, 2006 @ 2:35 pm
i dont watch CMM much anymore i think all of their best anchors and in the field reporters are now gone. think back walter rogers, marty savage, etc. the list goes on.
Comment by liz — December 2, 2006 @ 3:03 pm
that should have been CNN - see what happens when they start going down, down, down.
Comment by liz — December 2, 2006 @ 3:05 pm
Aaron Brown… oh, wait. He was too gentle and intelligent to fit in with the Foxification. That calls for titans of journalism like Glenn Beck.
Comment by KevPod — December 2, 2006 @ 4:09 pm
Claudia Palacios over at CNN Espanol. A real latin hottie.
Comment by elmonica — December 2, 2006 @ 4:44 pm
This is a very interesting question. I agree with #2 about CNN having an abundance of talented reporters. Right off the top I’ll go ahead and disqualify anyone who uses “uh and ummm” enough to make me change the channel. The best person I’ve seen both ANCHORING and REPORTING (under 35) would be Zain Verjee. Leading up the 35+ bracket would be John Roberts. Ben Wedeman is the best reporter I’ve seen at CNN. The sad fact is CNN has quite a few “weak kneed” anchors who get flustered when the wind blows. So, if there’s breaking news people tune in, and when its gone, so are they. Because “need to know” and “want to watch for the hell of it” are two different things.
Comment by Terance — December 2, 2006 @ 4:52 pm
I’m usually not home until after 8 PM, and since I don’t care for Paula Zahn, and Larry isn’t ‘news’ per se, I wait till 10 and watch Anderson. He’s become daily ‘appointment viewing’ for me, because (face it) he’s so pretty, but even if he wasn’t a stunner, I like his interviews and panels. Particularly the way he doesn’t let people talk all over one another in that bullying way so popular on other networks. I also admire his field work.
If I’m home during the day, I might turn on Wolf, but not unless something was happening.
Reporters: Suzanne Malvaux is a total tool - gets her talking points faxed to her from the White House. Michael Ware is one of the most awesome war reporters in years and doesn’t shade his reporting to match someone else’s agenda. John Roberts is a great reporter and should be given his own show, preferrable in Paula’s timeslot, since Larry’s apparently not going anywhere.
“Faith and Values Correspondent” Delia Gallagher irks me to death, but I’m not sure why. I’m sure she’s a nice girl. Little Arwa Damon in adorable and I’m scared to death for her over there in Iraq. (And Michael Ware and Nic Robertson, of course.)
I get a kick out of Tom Foreman because he DRAMATIZES everything So VERY much!!! And Gary Tuchman puts the ‘gentle’ in gentleman.
Oh. Were we supposed to pick ONE? Okay, then Anderson. But I admit I’m terribly prejudiced.
Comment by Arthur — December 2, 2006 @ 5:18 pm
Carol Lin. She’s classy and professional.
Comment by Charles — December 2, 2006 @ 5:41 pm
My favorite anchor/reporter is Anderson Cooper. His field reporting is great and he does not let risks get in the way and I call that courageous. His studio reporting touches on many interesting subjects and he generally has guests with differing points of view so we can mull over their perspectives and make up our own minds.
He seems like a blank slate when reporting on politics. I have watched his program for over two years and cannot tell by his reporting his political leanings.
Comment by Judy Stage — December 2, 2006 @ 5:41 pm
Why are you terribly prejudiced Arthur?
Good comments by all. My pick: a tie between Blitzer and Roberts. They are both good reporters and anchors. Like Peter Jennings (the best reporter/anchor ever), having been around the block a few times makes an anchor more objective and less subjective. When hard news happens, these two are able to put the spin away and lay it all out for us.
Comment by erljr — December 2, 2006 @ 5:46 pm
Favorite under 40: Anderson Cooper (whom I prefer out on the field). Favorite with most gravitas: John Roberts. Favorite undead: Larry King.
Comment by Jackie — December 2, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
John Roberts is great all-around. I also think Anderson is better when he’s not anchoring but reporting. John King is also a very solid reporter and sub-anchor.
Comment by Alison — December 2, 2006 @ 7:15 pm
Michael Ware is something special.I can get more information from a 2-3 minute stand-up of his than I can from an hour of anyone else.John Roberts runs a close second.And Zain Verjee is an anchor star waitng to happen.
Comment by Fred — December 2, 2006 @ 11:38 pm
I’m with #6, Claudia Palacios is the sexiest woman alive. I also think Betty Nguyen is great, and highly under-utilized. She’s better than many of the weekday anchors.
Comment by spiffo — December 3, 2006 @ 12:27 am
Carol Lin is the best CNN has.
Comment by Pete — December 3, 2006 @ 2:09 am
All of them will do, but I particularly love Michael “Charlie Manson” Ware because he will always serve as our loyal spokesman no matter what we feed him.
Comment by Osama bin Laden — December 3, 2006 @ 2:55 am
“Why are you terribly prejudiced Arthur?”
I’m a ‘lookist’, erljr - I freely admit that. I’m not saying I would definitely watch Anderson Cooper reading from the phonebook, but I can’t entirely rule it out, either. Depends on what else was going on…
“Favorite undead: Larry King.”
Bwah! It’s funny because it’s true. I often catch the last few minutes of his show, and there are times when he seems completely absent, and I’m sure he doesn’t read any of the books whose authors appear on his show. Yet during the election season, he seemed to come alive and remain engaged and interesting. Old warhorse, smelling blood…
Comment by Arthur — December 3, 2006 @ 10:49 am
Oh please, #17 - take your rightard talking points back to Rush and tell him where he can stick them. No one’s drinking that brand of koolaid any more.
Comment by Arthur — December 3, 2006 @ 2:02 pm
Honestly, CNN does have the best group of anchors and reporters of any of the networks, the best being Anderson Cooper. He looks a little more plain without the hair dye of some, plus does generally good reporting on location, not to mention has a decent attitude when things get soft in the news.
Comment by Chris — December 3, 2006 @ 2:26 pm
You’d think MW would make enough to put his nose back. Poor guy. Great reporting. Hard to watch.
Comment by erljr — December 3, 2006 @ 2:29 pm
I like Anderson and Wolf, but they are not on in the early AM when I want to get a fix on what has happened overnight before I leave for work. And in that category, CNN is lacking. AM is unwatchable for me now and it used to be my mainstay.
Comment by news fan — December 3, 2006 @ 3:35 pm
1. Anderson Cooper - A hard working, intelligent anchor/reporter always ready to go to the world’s hot spots at the drop of a hat.
And these other excellent reporters or anchors, it’s really difficult to choose just one:
Christianne Amanpour
John King
Joe Johns
Tom Foreman
Michael Ware
Nic Robertson
Arwa Damon
Carol Lin
Ed Henry
Comment by Marty — December 3, 2006 @ 5:38 pm
Carol Lin, John Roberts.
Comment by bb — December 3, 2006 @ 10:35 pm
#20 - wow, Chris, you’re the first person I’ve ever heard call Anderson Cooper ‘plain’. The usual indictment is ‘he’s just another pretty face’ (like there’s something wrong with that?)
#21 - I hear ya, erljr. But can you imagine making an appointment to have your nose RE-broken? *shudder* Still and all, if Spud ever asked, ‘which reporter would you want to have your back in a knife fight?’, I suspect MW would win hands down.
Comment by Arthur — December 4, 2006 @ 10:56 am
Anderson Cooper. He won me over during the Katrina disaster. John Roberts needs Paula Zahn’s time slot.
Comment by ladyone — December 4, 2006 @ 1:46 pm
Michael Ware. I didn’t think reporters had the guts to tell the truth anymore until I saw him.
Comment by Slushy — December 9, 2006 @ 9:05 pm
I think Michael Ware is an excellent reporter and I must say I think his nose is sexy. At first I thought how odd but his reporting is so great I his looks have grown quite appealing to me. John Roberts should take Paula’s place. She needs to retire or go have her hair done.
Comment by Gwen CNN — April 2, 2007 @ 5:13 pm