Topline
CNN CEO Chris Licht is stepping down, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday, after a tumultuous 13 months at the helm of the news organization that included a widely criticized town hall with former President Donald Trump, the messy and public firing of primetime anchor Don Lemon and a profile of him in The Atlantic that seemed to reveal a contempt for some of CNN’s own reporting.
CNN’s CEO Chris Licht is reportedly stepping down in the next 48 hours, according to reports.
Key Facts
David Zaslav, the chief executive of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, told employees Licht was leaving CNN during the network’s morning editorial call Wednesday, according to CNN’s media reporter Oliver Darcy.
Long CNN executive Amy Entelis will place Licht for an interim period while the company looks for a permanent replacement, according to Puck News.
Licht has not yet publicly commented on his departure.
Crucial Quote
“For a number of reasons things didn’t work out and that’s unfortunate,” Zaslav told CNN staffers Wednesday, according to Darcy. “It’s really unfortunate. And ultimately that’s on me. And I take full responsibility for that.”
Key Background
Moral at CNN and trust in the network’s vision under Licht has been diminishing in recent weeks. In the days after the Trump town hall, a number of CNN employees publicly spoke out against the decision to give Trump the forum to air misinformation. Some of those employees who expressed their displeasure with the decision to air the town hall, including Darcy, were later reprimanded, according to Puck News. Licht largely stood by the decision to air the town hall, though later said there were things he wish the network did differently. But The Atlantic portrayed Licht in a particularly unflattering light. Before taking the helm at CNN, Licht was the first executive producer on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and led CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Further Reading
Top CNN Anchors Criticize CEO Chris Licht’s Leadership (Wall Street Journal)
Inside The Meltdown At CNN (The Atlantic)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/06/07/chris-licht-out-at-cnn-reports-say/