CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht addressed an exposé from The Atlantic that dropped late last week to staffers in a Monday morning meeting.
The profile, authored by Tim Alberta, details the “meltdown” at the network. Alberta spent nearly a year behind the scenes with Licht, who trashed the previous regime’s strategy of covering the 24-hour news cycle and the stances network talents took against former President Donald Trump.
Reaction to the story has been varied, but most observers commented that the piece made Licht look inept and many questioned his future leading the network after it was published.
While speaking to staffers during the Monday morning editorial call, Licht said he spent time thinking about the profile.
“CNN is not about me,” Licht said, according to former CNN media reporter Brian Stelter. “I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about.”
The CNN CEO reportedly told employees he would “fight like hell” to win their trust back after making disparaging statements about their work before his tenure began.
