CNN officially premiered its new video podcast Engagement Party on May 21, 2026, launching with an episode titled "Yes, We're Still Hate-Watching 'Euphoria'". The show reunites former NPR co-hosts Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro.
Kara Swisher has been heavily promoting the launch across her networks. On her show On with Kara Swisher, she introduced it as a platform where the duo "talk about pop culture stories you're obsessed with or are generating a lot of buzz". Swisher added that she hopes "everyone listens to Engagement Party" because "it seems like a happier version of Scott and I".
Swisher also plugged the show on Pivot, explaining that the former NPR hosts have "reunited for a new CNN cultural podcast". She shared that Audie Cornish wants "to help people get out of the cultural silos".
With their public radio pedigree, Ari Shapiro and Audie Cornish are attempting to build a bridge between highbrow analysis and internet-era fandoms. Whether Engagement Party can capture a visual-first audience on CNN remains to be seen, but the early industry buzz is firmly in their corner.