Simply 5 days after The Atlantic revealed an in-depth take a look at CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht’s troubled tenure on the community, together with hours of on-the-record interviews with Licht, he was unceremoniously let go, The Guardian reported.
When members of the media described Licht turning CNN into “Fox Information Lite,” he shrugged the feedback off in The Atlantic piece.
“That is too necessary for me to be frightened about what somebody’s calling me or suggesting I’m attempting to be,” Licht mentioned within the article. “That is so mission-driven and so necessary. I genuinely am—I get mad, I get annoyed, nevertheless it doesn’t, like, have an effect on me. Does that make sense?”
However public notion did matter, nevertheless.
Licht made a collection of weighty selections throughout his yr within the put up, together with layoffs, firing anchors and extra just lately, an almost-crippling transfer to host Donald Trump throughout a city corridor that went awry.
The place it went incorrect
CNN defined in a current article:
The Guardian reported that Licht apologized to CNN workers shortly after The Atlantic protection.
“I met with Chris and he might be leaving CNN,” David Zaslav, chief government officer of father or mother firm Warner Bros. Discovery, knowledgeable CNN workers throughout an everyday editorial assembly.
Zaslav was not thrilled about The Atlantic’s article, “Contained in the Meltdown at CNN, which some really feel was dealt with incorrectly, CNBC reported.
CNBC explains that Licht addressed the decision throughout a employees assembly earlier than his departure:
Licht mentioned through the name he understands staffers’ frustration and is intent on incomes his workers’ belief, mentioned the individuals. He didn’t particularly communicate to why he participated in The Atlantic profile, through which reporter Tim Alberta spent months with Licht, together with becoming a member of him on the fitness center throughout a private coaching session and attending backstage CNN programming rehearsals. Licht’s remarks had been quick, mentioned the individuals, who weren’t licensed to debate the matter publicly.
Licht talked about his journey in a press release.
“This was an thrilling however extremely difficult task and I discovered rather a lot over the previous 13 months,” he mentioned within the CNN article. “I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have had a profitable, fulfilling profession and I stay up for my subsequent chapter. I want the crew at CNN the perfect, at all times.”
What went left on this state of affairs? All the pieces. Licht spoke, maybe, too plainly to The Atlantic Correspondent Tim Alberta who interviewed him starting final fall.
“This was the primary of many on-the-record interviews that Licht had agreed to present me, and I wished to know the way CNN’s new chief deliberate to take care of one other Donald Trump candidacy,” Alberta mentioned within the article.
Why it issues: Licht’s huge failures had been broadly highlighted within the article, which he spoke about frankly.
Media relations is a robust instrument if wielded appropriately. It could increase up giants and convey them down simply as shortly.
The latter was the case with Licht. Whereas belief and transparency are basic instruments that assist PR professionals and journalists navigate skilled relationships, discretion and silence is golden, too.
Licht’s guard greater than doubtless was down over the past handful of months and he constructed rapport with The Atlantic correspondent and trusted him. The Atlantic article got here again to hang-out him in an enormous manner. The writing was already on the wall given CNN’s fast descent after the city corridor, however the article was the nail within the coffin.
This serves as a robust reminder of being cautious what you say to journalists. It doesn’t matter what rapport you could construct with them, they’re journalists — not your pal, not your therapist. Assume all the things is on the file. Work with the executives in your group to assist them perceive this, and if attainable, be current within the room for his or her interviews so you’ll be able to help in the event that they begin to go too far.
Editor’s Information Picks
Sherri Kolade is a author at Ragan Communications. When she just isn’t together with her household, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style movies, studying and constructing an authentically curated life that features greater than often discovering one thing deliciously fried. Observe her on LinkedIn. Have a terrific PR story thought? E-mail her at sherrik@ragan.com.
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