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The newsroom door is open.

Office Hours are not just for professors. CNN is opening up that metaphorical door each week, giving subscribers the chance to ask our experts their questions live. With the midterm elections approaching and the political landscape changing weekly, CNN Anchor John Berman and special guests — this week Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten and AI Correspondent Hadas Gold — are answering questions on everything from key races to campaign turning points to AI and more. We sat down with John to go behind the scenes of Office Hours and hear what he’s learning from subscribers, what makes these conversations different and where he hopes to take them next.

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What can happen during Office Hours that could never happen on CNN News Central?

This one is simple. We take questions live from the audience. We do not do that on the morning show (maybe we should?) I have no real idea where the hour will go, until the questions start coming in live. In a sense, the subscribers are the ones producing the hour, not us. To that end, none of the subscribers are yelling “WRAP” in my ear the way producers do on TV.

How has speaking directly with subscribers changed the way you think about CNN’s audience?

I think they are even more awesome than I did before! They come to Office Hours with a really impressive base of knowledge on the news and events of the day. I can tell how closely they are paying attention.

Can giving viewers greater transparency into the reporting process help strengthen trust in journalism?

I think showing people how aggressively normal we are (at least some of us) helps people connect with us. I also think it builds trust to say, “I don’t know,” to some questions.

Is there a colleague whose expertise or personality you’re especially eager to bring to Office Hours?

I am such an election junkie that I want to hear as much as possible from people who have been out there on the ground talking to voters and taking the temperature of the campaigns — either this year or past elections to compare notes.

If you could ask the Office Hours audience one question, what would it be?

I wear the same flannel shirt for every Office Hours episode, do they think I need a new one? And do they think I could wear it on TV some mornings?

Join Office Hours every Wednesday at 7p ET with an All Access subscription.

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