NPR Veteran Ari Shapiro Joins CNN as Contributor, Reunites With Audie Cornish as Co-Host of New Podcast

Ari Shapiro, a veteran of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” has joined CNN as a contributor and will co-host a new video podcast called “Engagement Party” alongside former longtime NPR colleague Audie Cornish.

His hire marks the latest alliance struck between traditional news outlets and influential figures who often continue to operate independently in the media space. To be sure, news networks have long cultivated relationships with experts and analysts, but in the current era, they are seeking to establish new ties with people who may manage their own business relationships separate from the media outlet.

Shapiro and Cornish will use “Engagement Party” to examine the culture and ideas that engage and obsess them. The show will examine the moments and trends that drive online conversations. The podcast will debut May 22 and will be available both on CNN’s streaming service and on popular podcast platforms.

CNN’s rivals are also establishing relationships with popular podcasters and audio personalities. MS NOW now runs excerpts from Crooked Media podcasts on Saturday evenings. And Fox News Channel has enlisted the team behind the popular conservative podcast “Ruthless” as contributors.

Shapiro spent 25 years at NPR, including a decade as host of the evening “All Things Considered.” He served as a correspondent for NPR in London and at the White House, and worked in other roles. He hosted the reality-competition series “The Mole” for Netflix and is the author of “The Best Strangers in the World.” Shapiro has won three national Edward R. Murrow awards.

He left NPR in September 2025, a decision Shapiro said was unrelated to President Donald Trump’s successful moves to defund public media.