Colbert's Unexpected Chuckle: Audience Laughs at His Praise of CNN's Objectivity

Late-night host Stephen Colbert's offhand comment about CNN's objectivity triggered unexpected laughter from his liberal audience, highlighting the incongruity of such a claim amidst CNN's historically partisan reputation.

Late-night host Stephen Colbert's off-the-cuff comment about CNN being "objective" drew amusement from his New York City audience on Monday night, highlighting the incongruity of such a claim amidst the network's historically partisan reputation.

During an appearance by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on "The Late Show," Colbert initially praised the news organization, stating, "I know you guys are objective over there, that you just report the news as it is." This remark was met with a ripple of laughter from the audience.

Colbert's Unexpected Chuckle: Audience Laughs at His Praise of CNN's Objectivity

Despite his initial praise, Colbert quickly backpedaled, waving his hand dismissively and grinning at the audience's reaction. "No, no no —" he objected. "Was that supposed to be a laugh line?" Collins reacted with a smirk. "It wasn't supposed to be, but I guess it is," Colbert joked back.

The interaction was captured by Brent Baker of the Media Research Center, who shared a clip on Twitter. "Not even NYC lefties buy CNN as objective," he wrote.

Colbert's Unexpected Chuckle: Audience Laughs at His Praise of CNN's Objectivity

CNN's reputation as a partisan news organization has been shaped by its anti-Trump tone during the former president's tenure. Then-White House reporter Jim Acosta was regularly combative with members of the administration, leading Trump to frequently refer to CNN as "fake news."

In an effort to dial back the left-leaning opinion programming that had dominated the network under his predecessor Jeff Zucker, Chris Licht took over as CNN's executive in 2022. Licht made overtures to Republicans and fired some liberal anchors and reporters, but remnants of Zucker's era remained throughout the company. However, Licht was fired in 2023 after reportedly losing the faith of the network's liberal employees.

Colbert's Unexpected Chuckle: Audience Laughs at His Praise of CNN's Objectivity

Despite Licht's efforts, left-wing commentators such as Jeffrey Toobin, Don Lemon, and Brian Stelter have returned to the network in recent months. Their reappearance underscores the challenges CNN faces in shedding its partisan image and regaining the trust of viewers.

Colbert's quip about CNN's objectivity reflects the broader perception of the network as a biased entity. While Collins attempted to distance her organization from such a characterization, the audience's laughter suggests that Colbert's assessment resonated with them.

In the wake of its recent leadership changes, CNN finds itself at a crossroads. The network must navigate the competing demands of a liberal base that expects a confrontational approach to conservative politics and an alienated segment of viewers who perceive it as partisan. Colbert's comment, though delivered in jest, highlights the difficulty CNN faces in reconciling its past image with its aspirations for objectivity.