Warner Bros. Discovery held its upfront for prospective advertisers Wednesday morning, and CNN CEO Chris Licht touted the news network’s place in society as being as entrenched as ever.
“When the world needs the truth, they can trust us to deliver it. We have doubled down on our commitment to you, the audience, by strengthening the role of journalism in daily life,” said Licht. “CNN is unlike any other news organization in the world. We have greater resources, reach, and original reporting than anyone else. Thousands of journalists in 36 bureaus around the globe supercharge our news-gathering operation to provide reliable news and information. We’ve prioritized reporting over punditry to separate the news from the noise.”
Licht’s comments come after the network has fielded extensive criticism for its decision to host former President Donald Trump at a New Hampshire town hall event last week. However, Licht has fiercely defended the decision and added that CNN is needed now as much as it ever has been.
“CNN’s role in society has never been more important and more crucial than it is right now. We are in critical times, and no one can cover those times like CNN can — on every platform as it happens. Obviously, all eyes will be on CNN for the upcoming 2024 election…The world relies on those three red letters in times of need and in times of celebration.”
Licht’s comments on CNN’s place in the media landscape came after he announced that Kaitlan Collins — who moderated the event with Trump last week — would be shifting from her current role as a co-anchor of CNN This Morning to helm the network’s primetime 9:00 PM ET timeslot previously occupied by Chris Cuomo. The new program featuring Collins will debut in June.
