CNN CEO Chris Licht Apologizes To Staff

 CNN CEO Chris Licht on Monday apologized for negative press attention the network received over the weekend focusing on his yearlong tenure, saying it overshadowed the news organization’s work, according to The Hill.

“I know these past few days have been very hard for this group,” Licht said during a networkwide editorial call, media reporter and former CNN staffer Brian Stelter noted in a morning Twitter thread. “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.”

The "Morning Joe" crew strongly defended Chris Licht (the founding producer of that show) this AM – @JoeNBC read aloud my Twitter thread about Licht apologizing to the CNN staff, then said "that's exactly what you want from somebody that made a mistake." Here's the clip pic.twitter.com/v5NLwrvrK6

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 5, 2023

Licht specifically acknowledged a wide-ranging profile published on Friday in The Atlantic, in which he was extensively quoted. In the story, Licht was quoted criticizing the network’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic before his arrival last May and assuring journalist Tim Alberta, who authored the piece, that CNN’s corporate ownership “has his back.”

The Atlantic reported that Licht told employees that the media empire had “lost its way under former president Jeff Zucker” and that CNN’s approach to Trump had “alienated a broader viewership that craved sober, fact-driven coverage.” Trump’s town hall was part of Licht’s attempt to reconnect with Republican voters.

“As I read that article, I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me,” Licht said on Monday’s call. “I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about.”