CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlin Collins” debuted a new look and new home May 27, 2025. The broadcast, launched in 2023, received a complete makeover, including a new logo, graphics package, and relocation to the network’s Washington, D.C., newsroom.
The show abandoned its previous red, white, and silver design for a more sophisticated steely blue and gold palette. The geometric sans serif font in the show's wordmark was replaced with Kuunari, also used for the “CNN NewsCentral” video wall graphics. The updated logo now incorporates four bars to fill the negative space.
Animated sequences, including the new show open, blend blurred dots, line segments, and laser lines. Some elements, like the show title card, feature a more prominent orange shade.
The show opens with Collins walking through the newsroom, which boasts a quasi-industrial aesthetic and moody lighting. Collins is strategically positioned beside a large show logo in the workspace. A sidebar-style OTS graphic neatly frames Collins.
Collins sits at an L-shaped anchor desk, with guests seated on the opposite side. A vertical LED video panel, integrated to look like a structural column, displays topical graphics.
An unconventional wide shot showcases the desk, Collins, and four unmanned PTZ cameras. A Variety report suggests CNN aims to boost ratings and project Collins, also the network’s chief White House correspondent, as an intrepid reporter. This led to the move from an enclosed studio to the newsroom.
The newsroom’s darker lighting and “clean industrial” feel give the program a grittier aesthetic. However, the background surprisingly lacks many people, contrasting with Collins’ statement to Variety that the newsroom is “not a very chill place” and “always” bustling. The background “action” mainly comes from flickering television panels and monitors.
The new “Source” avoids traditional D.C. studios and their video wall features seen on “CNN NewsCentral” and “The Situation Room.” The new space lacks prominent D.C. landmarks, likely a deliberate decision.
Later that week, Collins anchored from New York City’s Studio 19Z, a traditional enclosed studio. The show opted not to use Studio 17N, a former newsroom set in New York, likely due to previous issues with the visual effects in that studio.
The NYC graphics focused on horizontal textures, a White House view (despite the show not being in Washington), and simulated virtual views.