CNN CEO Mark Thompson is still getting his footing at the venerable cable outlet. Monday marked his first official day on the job. However, he’s already willing to share some of his observations with employees.
During the Monday morning editorial call, Thompson told staffers about what he’s seen so far in a five-minute, pre-recorded message, according to The New York Times‘ Ben Mullin.
“TV is also too dominant at CNN and digital too marginal,” Thompson said. “Despite some recent encouraging developments like the launch of CNN Max, this company is still nowhere near ready for the future.”
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reportedly selected Thompson due to his reputation as a “transformational leader”, calling Thompson a “true innovator who has transformed for the digital age two of the world’s most respected news organizations,” during his time at The Times and the BBC.
Additionally, Thompson noted that the network’s mission under Chris Licht about airing both sides of every issue isn’t something the outlet should be hindered by.
“Let’s not second-guess ourselves or get distracted by complicated arguments about balance or whataboutism or false equivalency,” Thompson concluded. “Let’s cover political news proportionally and fairly but not be frightened of our own shadows.”
