5 Questions For… Max Foster

Max Foster had a busy first week as the host of CNN International’s new European primetime show What We Know.

The veteran journalist covered two important global events during that period: the Conclave that resulted in the election of Pope Louis XIV, and the heightening tensions between India and Pakistan.

Airing at 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET) and anchored out of CNN’s London bureau, What We Know provides a roundup of the day’s top stories and debate-sparking questions, as well as in-broadcast social media integration.

Foster has been with CNN International since 2005 and previously anchored its flagship show, CNN Newsroom at 3 p.m. Prior to that, he co-anchored the morning edition of the program with Christina Macfarlane.

In the latest edition of TVNewser’s 5 Questions series, Foster explains why What We Know is different from CNN International’s other offerings and reveals which celebrity he shares a birth month with.

1.⁠ ⁠What’s the origin of the show’s name?

Audiences have never been so overloaded with information and content, and I think it’s fair to say that is only going to get more intense. With this show, we are very focused on pace and stripping out anything the audience doesn’t need to know. That concept lends itself to the title of What We Know, which also happens to be a common phrase I’ve used in my TikToks! That doesn’t mean we’re skipping important details; it’s more that we’re giving you the key points in a smart, easily digestible way.

2.⁠ ⁠What will be the big differentiator between your show and CNN International’s other programs?

I wanted to create a show that complemented CNN International’s existing European primetime lineup, which is a pretty formidable with a varied selection of anchors, shows, and styles.  Of course, we have Christiane Amanpour, who is renowned for her big-name interviews; Isa Soares, who brings astute analysis and digs deeper into the stories behind the headlines; and Richard Quest, who quite literally means business.

What We Know is designed to be an everything-you-need-to-know bulletin, delving into the big talking points of the day. We start with what we know on the lead stories, and then we bring in an expert or analyst who can help address what we don’t know, which allows us to be transparent with the audience on a story or situation that is still developing. One of the things I’ve loved about working for CNN is its spirit of innovation, which is a real thing, and harks back to Ted Turner. What We Know captures that by experimenting with new ways to engage viewers through video and digital more broadly.

If you’ve followed my career, you’ll know that I’ve always had a bit of a taste for experimenting on various social platforms to find the most effective ways of keeping people’s attention and telling stories in new ways—and this show is very much informed by everything I’ve learnt from that. With this show, we have the space to experiment on CNN’s digital platforms in addition to taking viewer questions from a TikTok live and incorporating them into my interviews, or whatever feels right. I want to go wherever the conversation is taking place and take that conversation back into the studio with me.

3.⁠ ⁠What does it take to get an hour-long show on-air?

We don’t have a show meeting in the traditional sense. It’s more an ongoing conversation through the day, where the whole team can drop in ideas, thrash out the questions our audience wants us to answer, and build from there. The beauty of that approach is that it allows us to constantly adjust and make the running order as lively, current, and relevant as possible.

I don’t find it particularly beneficial to have a meeting hours before the show airs, only to commit to angles and guests that lose relevance by the time we get to air. News conversations move on quickly, and we want to be on the front end of them, not going back over thoughts the viewers have already resolved. The formats and ideas we’ll be playing around with on What We Know will accentuate that ethos and give the audience a real sense of immediacy.

4.⁠ ⁠What should we know about your reporting on the Conclave as well as the India/Pakistan conflict?

While completely different, they are both incredibly important stories that our global viewers want explained in the clearest way possible in order to better understand them. There is deep history and intricate context to take into account, as well as facts to lay out clearly in order to help them better understand their significance. And getting back to that notion of immediacy, there are up-to-the-minute developments that need to be tackled in real time.  

5.⁠ ⁠What’s one thing we should know about Max Foster?

I like to put myself in the place of the viewer and ask the questions they want answered.  I think it’s important to approach a story with curiosity and a willingness to confront aspects of it that don’t make sense. The story always comes first, and I want to understand it as much as you do. Isa Soares also tells me I have quite outlandish taste in footwear—you might catch a glimpse of that on my TikTok. Oh, and I was born in the same month as Eminem. True story!

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