After what has been labeled a “disastrous” profile with The Atlantic, CNN CEO Chris Licht has reportedly “lost the room”, according to CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy.
He added that after speaking with more than a dozen colleagues, one feeling was nearly universal.
“Licht has lost the room,” reported Darcy. “In the eyes of so many at CNN, there isn’t anything Licht can do at this point to win over their support. They’ve hit the wall with him.”
A report from The Daily Beasts’ Lachlan Cartwright specifically named Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, and Erin Burnett as those who have “lost confidence in the boss”.
Many have questioned Licht’s future with the organization after the profile called into question his decision-making and professional acumen to lead the brand forward. Darcy reported that Warner Bros. Discovery chairman David Zaslav “had the same reaction that everyone else did to that article, a person familiar with the WBD chief’s thinking told me. A second person familiar with Zaslav’s thinking said the WBD boss was not happy about The Atlantic story and that he is not blind to what is transpiring at CNN.”
The reporting from Darcy comes after Licht apologized to CNN employees during a Monday morning editorial call. He told staffers his goal should only be in the news if he is “taking arrows” for reporters, hosts, and the network. He admitted he had failed that goal and would “work like hell” to restore their trust in him.
