Chris Licht, CNN’s new president, continues his move away from the network’s previous liberal leanings to remake the network after its collapse under his predecessor Jeff Zucker.
Licht, 50, has reportedly told his staff to stop using the phrase “the big lie” to refer to ex-President Donald Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election results.
The wording is popular for the network. According to Mediaite, the phrase was said 168 times in the first half of June alone.
Hosts like Reliable Sources’ Brian Stelter often like the term to the point where they use it prominently in graphics packs and chyrons.
Licht was asked to comment on the tenure during a conference call Tuesday with the network’s management and the producers of various shows.
Chris Licht, CNN’s new president, continues his move away from the network’s previous liberal leanings to remake the network after its collapse under his predecessor Jeff Zucker
Licht, 50, has reportedly told his staff to stop using the phrase “the big lie” to refer to ex-President Donald Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election results
The wording is popular for the network. According to Mediaite, the phrase was said 168 times in the first half of June alone
It’s one of many changes being made by Licht, who took over from deposed Jeff Zucker on May 2
He reportedly said he would prefer staff to avoid doing this, but made it clear it wasn’t mandatory.
As an alternative, instead of flashing “the big lie”, they should use “trump election lie” or just “election lies”.
A source said Licht believes the specific phrase of “the big lie” – a reference to Hitler’s Nazi propaganda efforts during the Third Reich – is a talking point in the Democratic Party.
CNN staffers have indicated that the news was not well received by people within the Atlanta-based network.
“It is concerning that we are being told how to speak about one of the worst things that has ever happened to American democracy,” a CNN insider told Mediaite. “We must call lies lies, whether they are small lies or big lies. Is there a greater lie than this lie?’
This insider suggested that Discovery board member John Malone — now on the board of the network’s parent company, who has criticized CNN under Zucker — was behind it.
“It seems to indicate where things are going,” they added. “We didn’t have this problem until John Malone sat on the board of this company.”
An insider suggested Discovery board member John Malone — now on the board of the network’s parent company, who was critical of CNN under Zucker — was behind it
CNN staffers have indicated that the news was not well received by people within the Atlanta-based network
A former producer on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and most recently on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, this is far from the first time Licht has tried to get the network to tone things down since he took the reins.
Licht has assessed news personalities and programming that became polarized during Donald Trump’s presidency as part of his efforts to redesign the outlet.
Those who don’t comply with the network’s new priority of becoming “less partisan” could be fired, CNN insiders told Axios.
Licht is reportedly not trying to get rid of primetime personality programs, but he wants CNN’s news staff to present information in a way that upholds the network’s apparent values of unbiased reporting.
Analysts say this could prove problematic for station correspondents Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter, among others, who “have become the face of the station’s liberal transformation.”
Licht wants to give the controversial figures a chance to “prove they’re ready to uphold the network’s values” before throwing anyone out, the insiders said.
Specifically, he wants on-air talent, producers and bookers to make programming decisions that focus on “nuance” and don’t tarnish the CNN brand, which was once considered “the most trusted name in news.”
He has no plans to change the tone of the network’s primetime shows, but wants to ensure partisan voices don’t harmfully “dominate” programming.
This would be a departure from the way former CNN President Jeff Zucker ran the network, which many argue has enabled the promotion of an anti-Trump agenda.
Those who don’t comply with the network’s new priority of becoming “less partisan” could be fired, CNN insiders claim
Licht, who officially took over CNN on May 2, said in a recent memo that he agrees with criticism “inside and outside the organization” that the banners are being overused on television, Axios reported.
“It has become such a staple on every channel and network that it has lost its impact with audiences,” he wrote. “We are truthtellers focused on informing, not alarming, our viewers.”
Licht said that CNN bureau chief Sam Feist conducted a review to determine best practices for using the breaking news label and added new rules to the network’s style book or internal editorial guidelines.
“It will certainly require adjustments, so we’re open to feedback, but this is a great starting point to try and get ‘Breaking News’ to make something BIG happen,” Licht said of the new rules.
Both fans and critics of CNN welcomed the move in comments on Twitter, with many journalists tweeting the change jokingly labeled “BREAKING NEWS.”