CNN's Don Lemon Says It Ain't So

CNN anchor Don Lemon pushed back on the notion that his new boss, Chris Licht, is attempting to push the left-leaning network toward the center – dismissing reports about the shift as a “narrative” concocted by the media.

The NY Post reports Lemon, who has frequently clashed with conservatives during his nightly broadcasts, addressed the situation during an appearance on Comedy Central’s “Hell of a Week” with host WQHT's Charlamagne Tha God.

Charlamagne referenced reports and public commentary indicating that Licht, the new president of CNN, and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav want to drive the network toward non-partisan news coverage.

“[Licht] wants to shift CNN from an opinion-based partisanship news to the political center. Will you still be able to call it like it is?” Charlamagne asked.

“Let me just say, I don’t think that’s exactly what Chris is saying,” Lemon responded during the episode airing last Friday. “I think that’s a narrative that has been placed in the medium. I think what Chris wants to do is to be able to have Republicans and Democrats and whatever your political stance is on CNN so that you can be accountable and that you can answer for it.”

“Yes, I will be able to do what I do on CNN – which is to tell the truth, which is to inform the American public and also the world, because we’re an international news organization. So if I’m not allowed to do that, then I will go on and do it somewhere else,” Lemon added.

Licht has openly discussed his view on what form CNN’s coverage should take in the months ahead, circulating a memo to staffers in May saying that “too many people have lost trust in the news media.”

“First and foremost, we should, and we will be advocates for the truth,” he added.

In June, Axios reported that Licht was actively monitoring CNN’s anchors to ensure their tone during broadcasts reflected the network’s updated focus on non-partisanship.

The report, which cited three sources familiar with the matter, noted that anchors who were unable to “adjust to a less partisan tone and strategy” could be forced out. Lemon’s colleagues, Brian Stelter and Jim Acosta, were singled out as those facing scrutiny.

The report added that Licht wanted CNN’s anchors and reporters to focus on straightforward interviews and for producers to avoid “noise” in their booking decisions.