New CNN boss Chris Licht is cracking down on biased reporting and specializing in "fact and truth" on the community.
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CNN’s new boss kicked off his first day on the job by telling workers he needs to focus the community’s reporting on information and “fact” amid criticism over the scandal-scarred community’s heavy emphasis on opinion-based reveals.
Chris Licht — who formally changed CNN’s disgraced boss Jeff Zucker on Monday following stints as an government producer at “The Late Present with Stephen Colbert” and “CBS This Morning” — circulated a memo to workers saying “too many individuals have misplaced belief within the information media.”
“I feel we generally is a beacon in regaining that belief by being a corporation that exemplifies one of the best traits of journalism: fearlessly talking fact to energy, difficult the established order, questioning ‘group-think, and educating viewers and readers with easy details and insightful commentary, whereas at all times being respectful of differing viewpoints.” Licht wrote.
“Firstly, we must always, and we shall be advocates for the reality,” he added.
The memo marks Licht’s first remarks about his imaginative and prescient for the community. He just lately addressed some 400 CNN workers final Thursday, after new administration shuttered CNN+, the community’s costly one-month previous streaming service.
“It is a uniquely shitty scenario,” Licht mentioned on the time, hoping to calm lots of of indignant workers who simply misplaced their jobs.
Licht was handpicked by David Zaslav, the incoming CEO of CNN’s new company mum or dad Warner Bros. Discovery, which is comprised of WarnerMedia, additionally residence to HBO, and Discovery, which owns TLC, Animal Planet and Meals Community.
Earlier this month, Zaslav instructed workers that he needs CNN to give attention to the details and set itself other than a cable-news business that he says is monopolized by “advocacy networks.”
“If we get that, we will have a civilized society,” Zaslav mentioned. “And with out it, if all of it turns into advocacy, we don’t have a civilized society.”
Zucker’s mandate to inject commentary and factors of view into day by day reporting had juiced CNN’s rankings throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, however has turned off viewers since Trump left workplace, inflicting CNN’s rankings to crater.
CNN has been tarnished over its mishandling of high-profile scandals Chief amongst them was Zucker’s mishandling of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, whom he fired in December. The anchor was discovered to be secretly aiding the protection of his embattled older brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations that resulted in his resignation.
Quickly after, Zucker resigned in February, citing a romantic relationship with a colleague. The imbroglio brought about an uproar amongst CNN staffers, who had been indignant about Zucker’s exit and the thought that Cuomo would get an enormous severance bundle, regardless of breaking journalistic requirements associated to protection of his brother.
Even earlier than that, billionaire media mogul John Malone — an in depth confidant of Zaslav — and a board member of the mixed firm, criticized CNN for its slanted protection.
“I want to see CNN evolve again to the sort of journalism that it began with, and really have journalists, which might be distinctive and refreshing,” Malone mentioned throughout a CNBC interview final November. “I do imagine good journalism might have a task on this future portfolio that Discovery-TimeWarner’s going to signify.”
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