Chris Licht and the Challenges of CNN’s Evolving News Strategy

On June 8, 2023, Tim Alberta’s report for The Atlantic on the termination of Chris Licht from CNN was published. The report detailed the catastrophic events that led to Licht’s ousting as CNN’s CEO. In a subsequent episode of Radio Atlantic, Alberta provided insight into his year-long investigation of Licht and what his departure from the media network means for the practice of journalism.

The grand experiment of Licht was to revamp CNN as a more accommodating platform for Republicans; a move that would enable the network to cultivate a new audience, one that focuses more on facts as opposed to commentary and outrage. His goal was to re-establish trust in CNN as a reliable source of news by creating an environment that welcomed people from both sides of the political spectrum; a model that he hoped could be replicated across the entire industry.

However, Licht’s overall mission was questioned by many individuals. Some pointed out that the decline of cable news and the trend of cord-cutting was an uphill battle that Licht could never win. In addition, most Americans prefer to acquire their news from sources that favored their existing beliefs, a practice that the Licht model would not support. The argument was that Licht’s mission was theoretically sound, but not grounded in the reality of how people consume news.

Alberta’s report depicted Licht’s struggle to translate his broad ambition into reality. His mission was doomed from the start, and his time as CEO was punctuated by a series of calamities. The failure of the CNN town hall with Donald Trump was a crucial moment for Licht. As soon as the event was over, Alberta observed that Licht’s distress was palpable; he realized that his ambitious project had fallen short. Analyzing the situation with hindsight, it is clear that Licht’s goals were too lofty and his method of making them happen was flawed. In practice, people were not who Licht wanted them to be.

Licht hoped that CNN would become a platform where people with divergent views could engage in productive and honest dialogue. He wanted to strike a balance between partisanship and factual reporting. But he underestimated the challenges of translating his good intentions into a reality. When faced with the reality of actual dialogue, the train quickly came off the rails.

Some individuals at CNN expressed their support for Licht’s vision of toning down outrage and committing to facts-first coverage. However, others raised questions on practical ways of achieving this goal, especially when dealing with controversial and divisive people and topics. For instance, Licht’s model would permit individuals who sought to undermine democracy and prevent the peaceful transfer of power to have a platform to reach the masses.

The fall of Licht from grace as the CEO of CNN is indeed a significant moment in the history of journalism. Licht was a zealous but ultimately misguided leader, who fought a losing battle to change the nature of news consumption. His vision of journalism was too idealistic, and the harsh reality of dealing with a polarized society full of conflicting interests proved too much for him.

The rise and fall of Licht at CNN shed light on the challenges of defining the mission of journalism in a world where the press is a polarizing entity that is highly politicized. It raises the critical question of whether journalism can maintain the core values of objectivity, honesty, and dedication to facts, while still striving to stay relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape. In the end, Licht’s experiment at CNN will be studied for years to come as a cautionary tale about the complexities of the journalism industry and the difficulty of trying to unify a divided society.