On the set of CNN’s “NewsNight,” guests may not be certain whether they should shake hands or ball them up into fists.

When the cameras are off on the set of anchor Abby Phillip’s program, the atmosphere matches that of a nice dinner party.

Before the 10 p.m. show even got on the air one night last week, producers offer panelist Ana Navarro a pillow to sit on so the diminutive commentator seems like she’s matched — at least optics-wise — with her neighboring guests Olivia Nuzzi and Bryan Lanza. And in the middle of one commercial break, conservative analyst Scott Jennings is heard to remark that he’s found a new friend — the progressive figure Nina Turner — in a declaration that surprises the producers who work on the program.

When the cameras start transmitting to viewers at home, however, it’s time to get real.

Navarro doesn’t...