The Mirror

Jeff Zucker Thanks CNN Staff For Getting In Sync With Audience

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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CNN President Jeff Zucker is all about the thank you memo. In the latest one sent to CNN Worldwide staff today, he thanks them for sticking with the story on veterans that he suggests led to the forced resignation of Veterans Sec. Eric Shinseki. In addition, he thanked specific employees for helping CNN get in touch with what the audience really wants — which turns out to be CNN Original Series, The Sixties, which first aired last night.

And the memo…

I wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am to work at CNN today.

Because today we have seen the true scope of what CNN is and can be.

Outstanding, months-long reporting on the VA story by the team of Drew Griffin, Nelli Black, Scott Bronstein and Curt Devine is what exposed a terrible situation at the Veterans Administration. And while their goal was never to force anyone’s resignation, our goal is always to hold officials responsible for wrongdoing. The commitment of AC 360 to “Keeping Them Honest” and our investigative team is what exposed the multitude of problems at the VA.

I wanted to take this moment to thank Drew and his team, Patricia DiCarlo at the investigative unit, the team at AC 360, as well as Richard Griffiths, Lee Williams and Steve Holmes for helping shepherd this incredibly important story.

This is what CNN is about.

At the same time, CNN is now also about all types of storytelling. And we proved that again last night with the successful launch of the new CNN Original Series, The Sixties. I want to congratulate Amy Entelis, Vinnie Malhotra and Lizzie Kerner for their exemplary work in bringing this series to life. And to the entire marketing and communications teams for making sure that the world knew it was there. What began last night, and will unfold over the course of the next 11 weeks, is what the audience also wants and expects from us.

CNN is evolving. Our commitment to news, investigative journalism and inspired storytelling is what we are all about.

Jeff