CNN CEO Chris Licht apologizes to staff for ‘distracting’ headlines about himself

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.

“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.”

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.”

“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.”

Licht for weeks has been subject to internal and external criticism over several controversies, including the network’s handling of last month’s town hall event with former President Trump and other staffing shake-ups.

CNN also fired star host Don Lemon earlier this year just months after moving him from prime time to anchor its revamped morning program, which has struggled to gain traction in the ratings.

Rumors about Licht’s job security were sparked last week when the network announced David C. Leavy, a 23-year veteran of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, would assume responsibility over “commercial, operational and promotional activities” across CNN as chief operating officer.

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