AT&T CEO Pledges Journalistic Independence for CNN

Assuming AT&T's  $85 billion deal to acquire Time Warner passes regulatory muster, it will take control of CNN, one of the world's biggest news organizations.

According to CNNMoney.com, journalists at the network immediately had questions about how AT&T will approach its role as a steward of news.

"Ensuring the public that CNN remains independent from an editorial perspective is critical," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in an email shared with a group of top journalists and media CEOs on Sunday.

Stephenson's email described CNN as "an American symbol of independent journalism and First Amendment free speech."

In a phone interview with CNNMoney Sunday afternoon, Stephenson elaborated: "We are fully appreciative and cognizant of that kind of independence."


"I think you can begin to destroy a brand like CNN if you begin to meddle in its independence," he said.

So "we're going to be very cautious," he said, referencing Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes. "I think Jeff has set a perfect model for how we operate, oversee and manage a brand like CNN."