Inside the Meltdown at CNN: CEO Chris Licht felt he was on a mission to restore the network's...

[demmiblue]

CEO Chris Licht felt he was on a mission to restore the network’s reputation for serious journalism. How did it all go wrong?

“How are we gonna cover Trump? That’s not something I stay up at night thinking about,” Chris Licht told me. “It’s very simple.”

It was the fall of 2022. This was the first of many on-the-record interviews that Licht had agreed to give me, and I wanted to know how CNN’s new leader planned to deal with another Donald Trump candidacy. Until recently Licht had been producing a successful late-night comedy show. Now, just a few months into his job running one of the world’s preeminent news organizations, he claimed to have a “simple” answer to the question that might very well come to define his legacy.

“The media has absolutely, I believe, learned its lesson,” Licht said.

Sensing my surprise, he grinned.

“I really do,” Licht said. “I think they know that he’s playing them—at least, the people in my organization. We’ve had discussions about this. We know that we’re getting played, so we’re gonna resist it.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/06/cnn-ratings-chris-licht-trump/674255/

Link to tweet

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Like hiring a hoarder

To feng shui your apartment

[Mike Nelson]

2. Oh, dear...

... soon, poor Chris Wallace won't have anywhere to work.

[Lovie777]

3. And like Musk.....................

he's totally destroying CNN.

[unblock]

4. the entire right wing has been playing the media for decades

back in the days of fax machines, the right wing learned that it only took a small handful of people to send form letters to a radio station's fax machine to completely tie it up. seeing the the fax machine pumping out letters as fast as it could, the radio station would just assume there was an unlimited number of people trying to complain about that issue, when in fact there was only maybe 5 people.

but the radio stations would announce massive audience support for the thing that those 5 people wanted and run with it.

the right wing has been doing crap like this for decades, and the media knows damn well all the tricks and they've been happily playing along. donnie blatantly lied about crowd size and his net worth and even his height, and it was completely obvious, especially to the on-scene reporters. but they largely ran with it anyway.

at least there's enough in the media to where the actual crowd sizes were available, but most of the media would report that donnie claimed a much higher number, and report it as if the truth was unknowable and who's to say donnie's count was wrong. an honest media would report the actual crowd size and say that donnie lied about it, or at least grossly exaggerated it.

but donnie further manipulates the media by threatening or actually denying "access" and so the media corrupts their coverage, and this is how a nation goes down the road to a dictatorship.


i have little hope in cnn or licht, but it would be great if he's actually seen the light. i won't hold my breath, though.

[flying rabbit]

5. Good read nt

[hlthe2b]

6. I only wish that some of our DU colleagues who question the criticism many of us have launched

against CNN and the apparent RW direction it has taken, would read this in full. No "I told you so's..." but...

[bluesbassman]

7. People in general are loathe to admit errors in judgment.

This explains some of the diehard Trumpanzees, although I believe the majority of them have ulterior motives like bigotry and greed. DU has a greater percentage of enlightened people who understand the benefits of admitting error, but we’re still all human and some just can’t or won’t admit mistakes.

[Carlitos Brigante]

11. At least the loudest one of those is not here anymore. nt

[Takket]

12. Funny you say that...

I notice I have not seen any posts from that person in the CNN threads lately. We’re they banned?

[Carlitos Brigante]

13. "Flagged for Review". Can't remember the thread I saw it in. nt

[Scrivener7]

8. Great article. Thank you. But wow! He sound's like a complete horse's ass.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Also Seems To Be In, Way Over His Head

Even his stated reasons for changes seem abjectly tactical, with no real strategy.
And, if the point was to reestablish trust, how would alienating over 50% of voters make that campaign rally disguised as a town hall accomplish that?
Telling to me the number of times his answers to direct questions trailed off or devolved into answers for questions not even asked. That sure seems a sign for a person too small for a big job.

[Scrivener7]

10. Clearly yes in skill level, and also just in his emotional sturdiness to do the job.

The complaint of the employees - that they know he wants them to change but he hasn't given any guidance about HOW he wants them to change - speaks volumes about him.

[lindysalsagal]

14. Keith Olbermann loves shredding Licht on his podcast.

Hilarity ensues. It's countdown on iheart radio.