By John Q. Hosedrinker 
CBS News’ recent town hall featuring Erika Kirk, moderated by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, garnered significantly low viewership, drawing only 1.548 million total viewers, a 27% decrease compared to standard programming in the same time slot year-to-date. Despite the network’s efforts to promote the event, including social media hype and preview airings, the online interest was also limited, with the YouTube video of the event receiving a mere 105,000 views. This contrasts with Kirk’s appearances on Fox News, which drew significantly larger audiences, and has led to criticism of Weiss’s decision to moderate, with some CBS News staffers deeming it “embarrassing.” The event’s commercial breaks featured direct-response advertisers, raising questions about advertiser wariness of the special.
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Bari Weiss’ much-hyped CBS News town hall with Erika Kirk was a massive ratings flop, a fact that’s not particularly surprising given the circumstances. It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that this event was a miscalculation from the start.
The immediate reaction is, who exactly was this town hall for? Erika Kirk wasn’t a household name before, and her recent rise to media prominence felt artificial, almost inorganic. CBS News, traditionally a source of mainstream news, seemed to be attempting a shift, perhaps influenced by the perceived success of Fox News, which, for a long time, held a near-monopoly on right-wing media. But simply mimicking the competition rarely works. Viewers aren’t necessarily going to switch allegiances and start tuning into a network that suddenly seems to be peddling conservative talking points. It’s more likely that existing viewers would feel alienated, while the target audience, already invested in conservative media, would stick with their preferred source.
There’s also the question of the content itself. Many felt the town hall promoted a message that may have resonated with some, but it was viewed as inauthentic. Some found Erika Kirk’s public appearances uncomfortable, especially with the optics of her being a wealthy CEO delivering pronouncements about women staying home. It sparked a discussion about perceived hypocrisy and the disconnect between her stated views and personal circumstances, as she was not at home with her children. It created an optics that turned off many viewers.
The commercial break during the show was also telling. The airtime was filled with direct-response advertisers. This is a tell-tale sign that major advertisers were avoiding this event.
The town hall itself seemed carefully rehearsed, down to the smallest detail. This lack of genuine spontaneity and a willingness to provide real answers, was noticed by viewers. This perceived lack of depth, and what many viewed as softballs, likely contributed to the event’s lack of success.
The fundamental issue is that the event lacked appeal beyond a specific segment of the population. Charlie Kirk, her deceased husband, was a figure of interest primarily within the MAGA sphere. His death, while tragic, didn’t necessarily translate into widespread interest in his widow’s perspectives. The general public simply wasn’t invested in the narrative, and the event felt manufactured and out of touch.
The broadcast seemingly focused on a narrative, something that ultimately contributed to its failure. This narrative, however, wasn’t something the broader audience was interested in hearing. The perceived bias of CBS News was also discussed, with some viewers noting a shift towards right-leaning viewpoints, further eroding its credibility. The audience likely believes that CBS is no longer a credible news source.
Ultimately, the event didn’t connect with a broad audience. It’s almost as if CBS decided its audience was only one person and then proceeded to ignore that person. The reality is that the event was boring and uncompelling, which is a cardinal sin in the world of television.
The John Oliver episode on Bari Weiss and CBS was recommended by some. The overall impression is that this was a failure on multiple levels, from the choice of subject matter to the execution of the town hall itself.