Former CNN chief Chris Licht spoke candidly about what led to him being fired from the network in 2023, saying he faced resistance. “Changes” from officials
In an interview on Saturday At a New York Press Club journalism conference, Licht said his “mission” was when he was hired to revive it. He noted America’s “trust” in CNN and viewed his firing as “just business.” He said he remains friends with the man who fired him. Its parent company, David Zaslav, is the CEO of Warner Brother Discovery.
Licht was then asked by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith if he could “state” the reasons why he was fired. It cited examples such as CNN’s Trump town hall and the now-infamous Transatlantic History. which paints him in a negative light Both of which sparked a backlash. among employees
“When you try to change something dramatically, You can’t do it alone. You have to build trust with the organization. They have to believe in you. And I didn’t build that trust,” Licht said. “When I was there I haven’t been able to build trust so that people can cut through the noise and follow me for that.”
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Former CNN CEO Chris Licht spoke candidly about his firing from the network during an appearance at the New York Press Club journalism conference. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
“Is it because of the time or because of something else?” Smith asked.
“Time is its element,” Licht responded. “We have to remember that things What was it like back then? It was crazy. I think everyone can objectively say that these were crazy times. Especially in that organization But I won’t let myself get carried away.”
“I think when you try to boldly move forward, You have to be confident and you have to project confidence in order for people to follow you. But there must be a thin line. Between Confidence and Arrogance And I’m still trying to fix that and I think sometimes I’m on the wrong side.”
“The Atlantic article I really shouldn’t have done,” he continued, “speaks of arrogance. Imagine that, yes. After that, I refused many times, but in the end I agreed because you know what? When this comes out in a year I will keep everything. This will be an article that will be very positive, because in a year I can Imagine the arrogance I had never failed before. One year has passed. They write about, ‘Wow, look at all these great things that are happening.’ No, I should do that. Journalists should never be taken to the gym. If I could say anything to anyone, it would be, don’t take reporters to the gym.”
CNN staff ‘deeply disappointed’ by ongoing budget cuts The layoffs are set to hit the struggling network.
Licht said there are officials at CNN who “don’t want change” as he tries to steer the struggling network in another direction. (Elijah Nouvellej/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Licht defended Trump’s town hall as he did during the attack on CNN, saying, “I still believe today it was the right thing to do,” and as he reiterated his regret for not disclosing more information. The audience at the New Hampshire State Capitol was packed with Trump supporters and center-right voters. He pointed to their positive reaction to then-candidate Donald Trump as important in its own right.
“Remember, we haven’t seen Trump in a long time. That was the first time he had answered a tough question in a long time, and the fact that his question resonated with New Hampshire voters That’s part of the story, but people at home need to be told that. And that is one thing I would have done differently,” Licht said.
He continued: “And why is that? I think that’s just it… There are people who don’t want change. and how I interact with those people I chose battles that I shouldn’t have chosen.” There was something I should have created. Some alliances I should make Or people I should trust more, but you know, there are no leaders in any organization. that doesn’t have these things self-reflection”
A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
Licht was recruited by Zaslav in 2022 to help revive CNN’s audience and restore its journalistic credibility. This after the network spent years building a reputation as an anti-Trump news organization under Licht’s predecessor, Jeff Zucker.
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Licht defended a CNN town hall with then-candidate Donald Trump, which sparked a backlash from liberal viewers and network officials. (Screenshot/CNN)
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CNN’s rank and file resisted Licht’s attempt to remove the footage from their coverage. One of his key moves was to fire prominent liberal air figures, including Brian Stelter, Don Lemon and Jeffrey Toobin.
However, Licht completely lost the trust of CNN officials. after the network hosted a Trump town hall in May 2023 that sparked unprecedented fury from within the newsroom. Licht was fired By Zaslav a week later
Fast forward to November 2024, as financial problems and declining viewership continue to plague the network. Many of Licht’s decisions were reversed – Stelter was rehired. As a media analyst Toobin and Lemon have made several guest appearances. And CNN’s anti-Trump coverage returned with a bang throughout Election Day.
Mark Thompson, CNN’s current celebrity, has been tasked with stopping the bloodshed of dwindling viewers and maximizing profits. CNN officials told Fox News Digital they are “extremely frustrated” as significant budget cuts and layoffs are likely to affect the network in the coming months.
