Liberty Media Chairman Wants To See CNN Return To Journalism

Liberty Media chairman John Malone, who sits on the Discovery Communications Inc. board of directors, wants to see left-wing CNN revert back to nonpartisan journalism following the completion of a merger that would put the liberal network under the Discovery umbrella. 

"I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing," Malone said in an interview that aired Thursday on CNBC. 

CNN’s current programming slate features a variety of shows – including "New Day," "Anderson Cooper 360," "Cuomo Prime Time" and "Don Lemon Tonight" that don't always align with founder Ted Turner's bare bones, just-the-facts approach to journalism. 

Earlier this year, AT&T Inc. agreed to merge its WarnerMedia division with Discovery Communications Inc., creating a streaming giant to compete with Walt Disney Co.'s Disney+ and Netflix. The deal is expected to close in 2022. 

CNN, which has struggled to attract viewers during the Biden era, has been long rumored to be sold off as it isn’t a clear fit for the streaming world. However, Malone would prefer to keep it and rehabilitate its reputation.

"I think a coward's way out would be to sell it or spin it off and then tell it in some tax-efficient way," Malone said. "I do believe good journalism could have a role in this future portfolio that Discovery-TimeWarner’s going to represent."

CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Discovery CEO David Zaslav will lead the combined company called Warner Bros. Discovery and he has publicly committed to keeping CNN after the merger. While Malone is on board with keeping CNN, he is aware other might not agree.