CNN’s Audie Cornish reflects on a year of ‘Assignments’

CNN Anchor and host of The Assignment podcast, Audie Cornish, reflects on her show one year since its launch.

View in browser An exclusive inside look with your free CNN account 🎤 Just over a year after launching The Assignment with Audie Cornish, the CNN Anchor reflects on what she's learned and what's ahead The CNN Audio podcast The Assignment with Audie Cornish has explored the creative path to climate solutions, examined artificial intelligence in a time of loneliness, meditated on the future of late-night television, and so much more over the past 13 months.   We sat down with CNN Anchor Audie Cornish to reflect on her lessons learned hosting the award-winning podcast and to gain insight into what listeners can expect in the new year.   The Assignment launched just over a year ago. What have you learned the past 12+ months? Over the last year I have learned that people are hungry for connection and to be heard. Our guests routinely express surprise at the stories they share on the show or surprise themselves with questions they have not been asked before. Our inbox is full of people who address me by my first name and offer up story ideas, comments and perspective. It's the opposite of social media.   You recently launched a Tuesday episode of the show (in addition to the weekly Thursday edition). Tell our readers why you made this decision, and what the focus of those episodes are. I have so many fun political conversations at CNN in the hallways, in passing in the makeup rooms etc. I wanted a way to capture that energy and share it with our listeners. Fundamentally the show is about sharing experiences. And CNN contributors and staff reporters have TONS of experiences that do not make it on air. It's a high wire act approach a political panel that I want to be fun for political junkies and helpful to people who actually feel burned out by politics and don't want to drown in the weeds.   CNN Anchor Audie Cornish What were some of your favorite stories from 2023 that stuck with you? George Santos -- a man who started as a sort of mysterious political story but ended up recording pep talk Cameos for $200 bucks a pop while under indictment for laundering and campaign finance fraud. The quote that lives rent free in my head is from Van Lathan from The Ringer. On King Charles he said:   "America has to come to grips with who we are. We think that we're Barack Obama, this super polished, educated guy who never says anything wrong. But, really, right now America is George Santos. We are the OnlyFans freak who is going to the casinos"   Santos was in the end the perfect mascot for congressional political dysfunction.   What can listeners expect in 2024? We had some really great conversations with authors (Emily Wilson, Sequioa Nagamatsu) thinkers (Roxane Gay, Baratunde Thurston) and TV personalities (Larry Wilmore). So I think I am going to dive into that world a little more and do the kind of interview I miss seeing. Witty, wise and wide-ranging.    Anything else you'd like to share? Listen and hit those follow buttons folks -- it's gonna be a fun ride! 💳  Sponsor Content by FinanceBuzz Top ways to get money without getting a job Food. Bills. Rent. Gas. They dry up every bit of your take-home pay. But, with a few smart moves, you could supplement your income — without doing much extra "work"! ✍️ we want to hear from you Got an idea for this newsletter? Let us know what you'd like to read about or what you've enjoyed so far. You can reach the team at insidecnn@cnn.com. We look forward to hearing from you.  INSIDE CNN An exclusive inside look with your free CNN account You are receiving this newsletter because you created a free CNN account.    No longer want to receive this newsletter? Unsubscribe. Interested in more? See all of our newsletters.   Create CNN Account | Listen to CNN Audio | Download the CNN App    ® © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights Reserved. One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303