CNN President Chris Licht apologized to staffers over a devastating profile that exposed the network’s inner turmoil Monday.
The Atlantic published an article entitled “Inside The Meltdown At CNN,” which detailed the alleged tensions between staffers since Licht took over the network in April 2022. He reportedly apologized to his staffers in regards to the article at the 9 a.m. editorial meeting, and confirmed he will remain in his position as the chief executive officer (CEO).
“I know these past few days have been very hard for this group,” Licht told the staff, according to a Twitter thread from former network anchor Brian Stelter. “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 org. And for that, I am sorry. As I read that article, I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me. I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about.”
“To those whose trust I’ve lost, I will fight like hell to win it back, because you deserve a leader who will be in the trenches, fighting to ensure CNN remains the world’s most trusted name in news,” he continued, according to Stelter.
“As I read that article, I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me,” Licht continued. “I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about.”
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 5, 2023
Stelter said the staff “appreciated [Licht’s] humility” as he apologized. (RELATED: Chris Licht Warns Staffers Of Upcoming Layoffs At CNN)
Licht: “To those whose trust I’ve lost, I will fight like hell to win it back, because you deserve a leader who will be in the trenches, fighting to ensure CNN remains the world’s most trusted name in news.” Staffers appreciated his humility. Q now: What do Zaslav & Leavy think?
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 5, 2023
The article detailed alleged inside accounts of Licht’s leadership at the network, with one part focusing on his alleged criticism of fired anchor Don Lemon’s outfit choice back in November.