CNN and the other elder networks drive viewership by telling retirees what to be angry about, providing them with the illusion of being engaged with society. It

CNN and the other elder networks drive viewership by telling retirees what to be angry about, providing them with the illusion of being engaged with society. It gives them something to talk about next time they’re leaning on the fence chatting to the neighbor. It’s a far cry from what CNN was in the 90s. But that core audience is now in their 70s.