Tuesday 7 June 2022 07:10 PM CNN's new boss Chris Licht cracks down on polarizing anchors trends now
CNN's new boss is cracking down on biased news reporting and has threatened to oust some of the network's top-paid talent, if they continue to push a liberal agenda.
Network CEO Chris Licht, as part of his efforts to revamp the outlet, has been evaluating news personalities and programs that became polarizing during Donald Trump's presidency.
Those who fail to get on board with the network's new priority to become 'less partisan' could be terminated, CNN insiders told Axios.
Licht isn't reportedly looking to get rid of primetime personality programming, but he does want CNN's news staff to present information in a way that upholds the network's apparent values of unbiased reporting.
Analysts allege this could prove problematic for network correspondents Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter, among others, who have 'become the face of the network's liberal shift.'
The potential firings are just the latest of Licht's moves to clean up the network.
Earlier this month he issued orders to tone down the use of 'Breaking News' graphics and announced he plans to craft a new organizational structure at CNN.
CNN's new boss Chris Licht has been evaluating news personalities and programs that became polarizing during Donald Trump's presidency
Licht wants to give the controversial personalities a chance to 'prove they're willing to uphold the network's values' before casting anyone out, the insiders said.
Specifically, he wants on-air talent, producers and bookers to make programming decisions that are focused on 'nuance' and don't tarnish the CNN brand, which was once regarded as 'the most trusted name in news.'
He does not plan to change the tone of the network's primetime shows, but does want to ensure partisan voices don't 'dominate' programming in a harmful way.
This would be a shift from the way former CNN president Jeff Zucker ran the network, which many argue allowed for the furthering of an anti-Trump agenda.
Those who fail to get on board with the network's new priority to becomes 'less partisan' could be terminated, CNN insiders allege
Chief Domestic Correspondent Jim Acosta may be among those under the scrutiny of Licht.
During Trump's time in office, Acosta often pushed back on the president's press secretaries and issued critiques of the administration during his coverage.
For example, while reporting on Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Acosta said: 'This is a nation without a president.'
After Trump's failed bid for re-election Acosta predicted the then-president, who was known for his Twitter commentary, would just 'go back to being another crackpot on the internet.'
Then, when Trump moved to challenge the election results, Acosta said he was 'scrambling to scam his way into a second term.'
The correspondent even had his White House press credentials temporarily stripped during Trump's reign, forcing Acosta to go to court to have them restored.
Those critical of Acosta allege his remarks were met with disapproval by news traditionalists, The Washington Post reported last year. Many believed, that as a correspondent, he should present facts, not personality-driven commentary.
Analysts speculate that correspondents Jim Acosta (left) and Brian Stelter (right) could be among those under Licht's scrutiny
Brian Stelter, the network's chief media correspondent, could also be among those Licht is evaluating.
Stelter published the book 'Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth in August 2020.'
In April 2021, when confronted by a Project Veritas staffer about CNN's alleged liberal bias, Stelter stated that CNN boss Jeff Zucker did not dictate the content of his reporting.
'I report whatever I want. You need to leave,' he said, according to Fox News, before ordering the staffer to leave the premises.
It is unclear if Licht has yet addressed any of the alleged partisan
