Brad Reed
June 5, 2023
Soledad O'Brien (Photo: JD Lasica/Flickr)
Former CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien had some harsh words for her former colleagues who have remained silent as CEO Chris Licht has tarnished their network's reputation.
O'Brien on Sunday night made the comments in response to a report from The Atlantic's Tim Alberta that revealed a Licht henchman demanded that CNN's graphics department take down a chyron that referenced Trump being found liable by a jury for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll during last month's town hall event.
Even though sources told Alberta they were shocked and dismayed by this decision, O'Brien argued that this wasn't good enough and that they needed to go public with their concerns.
"And yet not a single one said anything -- on the record, out loud, using their name," she wrote on Twitter. "They're shocked! They're shaken! But they are also cowards, let's be honest about that. When their boss was supporting pure journalistic malpractice what did they say -- out loud?"
There has been some public criticism from some CNN employees about the Trump town hall, including from media reporter Oliver Darcy and Christiane Amanpour, but so far there has been no broad public revolt by CNN employees.
The Trump town hall has drawn criticism in particular because CNN filled the studio audience with diehard MAGA fans who cheered on the former president even when he mocked and demeaned the woman he was found liable for sexually abusing.
CNN employees say boss Chris Licht has a 'Trumpian' paranoia and self-absorption: longtime insider
Brad Reed
June 5, 2023,
Chris Licht attends the 2022 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 08, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)
CNN boss Chris Licht is coming under increasing pressure over his widely criticized handling of a CNN town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, and now employees are dishing to longtime media insider Brian Stelter about how they really feel about him.
Writing on Twitter, Stelter said that multiple CNN staffers have confirmed to him the impression of Licht given in a report by The Atlantic's Tim Alberta, which made the CNN boss come off as "paranoid, self-absorbed, and reluctant to admit mistakes."
"'Trumpian' is the phrase several staffers used with me," wrote Stelter, who for years was employed as CNN's media reporter.
Stelter also said that there "is sympathy for Licht" among some CNN staffers, although they nonetheless "feel like he's been carrying out someone else's orders.
There has been some public criticism from some CNN employees about the Trump town hall, including from media reporter Oliver Darcy and Christiane Amanpour, but so far there has been no broad public revolt by CNN employees.
The Trump town hall has drawn criticism in particular because CNN filled the studio audience with diehard MAGA fans who cheered on the former president even when he mocked and demeaned the woman he was found liable for sexually abusing.
Brad Reed
June 5, 2023,
Chris Licht attends the 2022 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 08, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)
CNN boss Chris Licht is coming under increasing pressure over his widely criticized handling of a CNN town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, and now employees are dishing to longtime media insider Brian Stelter about how they really feel about him.
Writing on Twitter, Stelter said that multiple CNN staffers have confirmed to him the impression of Licht given in a report by The Atlantic's Tim Alberta, which made the CNN boss come off as "paranoid, self-absorbed, and reluctant to admit mistakes."
"'Trumpian' is the phrase several staffers used with me," wrote Stelter, who for years was employed as CNN's media reporter.
Stelter also said that there "is sympathy for Licht" among some CNN staffers, although they nonetheless "feel like he's been carrying out someone else's orders.
There has been some public criticism from some CNN employees about the Trump town hall, including from media reporter Oliver Darcy and Christiane Amanpour, but so far there has been no broad public revolt by CNN employees.
The Trump town hall has drawn criticism in particular because CNN filled the studio audience with diehard MAGA fans who cheered on the former president even when he mocked and demeaned the woman he was found liable for sexually abusing.
Chris Licht vows to 'fight like hell' to stop CNN 'meltdown'
Sky Palma
June 5, 2023,
In the wake of a piece in The Atlantic that painted a brutal portrait of CNN CEO Chris Licht, the network's boss is now trying to reassure employees that he plans to “fight like hell” to win back their trust, The Daily Beast reported.
The Atlantic article told the story of a network in "meltdown" and a CEO who is facing fallout over a town hall that featured former President Donald Trump and the loss of support from staff after he was tasked by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to reinvent CNN as a “centrist” news channel.
According to sources speaking to The Beast, Licht told staffers during an editorial call on Monday morning that he plans to stay on as CNN's CEO, adding that he knows "these past few days have been very hard for this group."
“I fully recognize that this news cycle and my role in it overshadowed the incredible week of reporting that we just had and distracted from the work of every single journalist in this organization. And for that, I am sorry," he reportedly said.
He said that when he read The Atlantic's piece, he realized that “CNN is not about me" and he “should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows” for the network’s staff since “your work is what should be written about.”
Read the full report over at The Daily Beast.
Sky Palma
June 5, 2023,
In the wake of a piece in The Atlantic that painted a brutal portrait of CNN CEO Chris Licht, the network's boss is now trying to reassure employees that he plans to “fight like hell” to win back their trust, The Daily Beast reported.
The Atlantic article told the story of a network in "meltdown" and a CEO who is facing fallout over a town hall that featured former President Donald Trump and the loss of support from staff after he was tasked by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to reinvent CNN as a “centrist” news channel.
According to sources speaking to The Beast, Licht told staffers during an editorial call on Monday morning that he plans to stay on as CNN's CEO, adding that he knows "these past few days have been very hard for this group."
“I fully recognize that this news cycle and my role in it overshadowed the incredible week of reporting that we just had and distracted from the work of every single journalist in this organization. And for that, I am sorry," he reportedly said.
He said that when he read The Atlantic's piece, he realized that “CNN is not about me" and he “should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows” for the network’s staff since “your work is what should be written about.”
Read the full report over at The Daily Beast.
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