CNN Staff Fears Right-Wing Billionaire Will Turn It Into a Dumpster Fire

[Celerity]

In this week’s edition of Confider, we look at how CNN’s shock firing of Brian Stelter has stoked internal fears centered around one libertarian billionaire board member.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-staff-fears-right-wing-billionaire-john-malone-will-turn-it-into-a-dumpster-fire



The fallout from the firing of Brian Stelter and the cancellation of Reliable Sources continues this week. CNN insiders tell Confider that staffers cannot shake the feeling the shocking move was made to appease John Malone, a right-leaning billionaire, close friend of the Murdoch family, and key Warner Bros. Discovery board member who has made it well-known that he would like CNN to be more “centrist”—whatever that means.

While Malone has denied he is “directly involved” in any decisions about CNN, multiple current and former staffers who spoke to us relayed a fear that the libertarian mogul is indirectly dictating an agenda to newly installed CNN boss Chris Licht. Sources further suggested that internal fears about future changes stem from how Licht has kept his cards close to his chest, with members of his own management team being left in the dark about next moves.

The news of Stelter’s axing was actually supposed to be announced Friday with a carefully managed story placed with NPR, sources told Confider, but the news leaked early, including—perhaps curiously—to two conservative outlets, the Daily Mail and the Tucker Carlson-founded Daily Caller, which were both tipped off on Thursday morning. Stelter had been an antagonist of right-wing media for much of his time at the Reliable Sources desk, but other similarly vocal CNN stars like Don Lemon and Jim Acosta are safe for now, sources familiar with the matter told Confider.

Instead, these insiders said, Licht will next turn his attention to “blowing up” CNN’s ratings-challenged morning show New Day, having brought on his old buddy Ryan Kadro from CBS to help rework it. Nevertheless, staffers fear further cutbacks and more layoffs as Licht, who has told friends he speaks to David Zaslav on a daily basis, seemingly carries out the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and his board’s wishes to make CNN less controversial and, in the words of several current and former CNN staffers, “more vanilla.”

snip

[Lucinda]

1. ...

[TheBlackAdder]

53. CNN is just filing the void that OAN left behind.

.

I suck at anything with graphics, so hopefully someone can run with this.

CNN - Filling the Void OAN Leaves Behind

.

[Lucinda]

63. You did great...I like the hand drawn look of the letters changed!

[Layzeebeaver]

2. we need less vanilla

and more bitters!

They can polish this turd anyway they want. It's another brick in the wall of rightwing control of the news media across the board. One by one these news outlets will be controlled and snuffed out.

And the next Jan 6th event will take place in front of us without violence - and it will not be televised

[NJCher]

9. Wow

You’re really good at providing content for the doom scrollers.

I’ll bet you could even get a job doing that!

[HUAJIAO]

23. In my view, there is no need to insult..

[NJCher]

29. I was sincere

there's a lot of demand for that sort of thing.
Big money.

[Layzeebeaver]

42. I'm sorry you feel that way

My intention was to point out my opinion on the matter.

Everyone is entitled to interpret my opinions as they individually see fit according to their own opinions.

[femmedem]

12. I'm not a doom scroller and I appreciate your post.

I thought your post was thought-provoking and cleverly written. If someone would like to offer a rebuttal, I hope it will be based on something more than insults. Don't let it keep you from offering your opinion again!

[NJCher]

31. thought providing posts

don't usually include four-letter words starting with "t."

But then, maybe for some people, they do.

[FoxNewsSucks]

33. I think you're exactly right.

In this country, "vanilla" is boring and doesn't get eyeballs (or ratings). So the stated goal of more rightwing, less-controversial, doesn't add up to the also-stated goal of increased ratings.

They've all tried to beat the Fox "news" Sewer at its game and none have managed to do it. Not even the extremist crackpot channels like OAN or NewsMax.

The corporations will allow the appearance of diverse coverage, on limited topics, for a while. But the future is definite unless something changes. They'll all be rightwing.

[Celerity]

40. good luck to CNN trying to draw in more Rethuggie eyeballs, Trump poisoned that well ages ago

Link to tweet

[no_hypocrisy]

3. OTOH, the new agenda may not work to attaining a meaningful profit.

My understanding of media competition is that you don't make money being an imitation.

Example: the NYC metropolitan market. There are two RW talk radio stations: WABC and WWOR. The latter is always trailing behind the former b/c WOR copied the format of ABC. (BTW, Sean Hannity and Rush moved from ABC to WOR and didn't improve the ratings of the station.)

So, let's wait and see.

[Ray Bruns]

16. That is what I was thinking. Why shift right when all the people who want to watch

RW media are already watching Fux news.

[Duppers]

22. Zactly.

[FoxNewsSucks]

34. It is the goal of the owners

They want money, but their desire to control the message is more important. Clear Channel did that with most of the old Air America stations. Profitable stations with good ratings were switched to other formats, usually sports, and the ratings went to near-zero. After all, most cities don't need an 8th sports station. . .

Maybe they make just enough to cover expenses, if not it's a write-off. But in any case, the goal was attained - liberal talk and truth is denied an outlet.

[House of Roberts]

4. CNN will still be the disaster porn channel for the masses.

Without Stelter, I only have one show I'll watch on Sunday, and that's Fareed Zakaria, and even he is too right leaning on economic issues, and too pro India, which is where he is from.

[NJCher]

10. Can you dvr

Acosta?

[House of Roberts]

25. I can, for the moment.

I'm planning on dumping cable TV pretty soon, if I can manage to watch all the Doctor Who episodes I've yet to see. When my DVR is cleared, I'm done.

[jimfields33]

5. How close is CNN to completely shutting down?

Is this a last chance for survival?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. Bring back an FTC that works for the people, not conglomeration.

Conglomeration has all but eliminated competition. There are too few owners of too much of the media 'consumed' by the American public.

[Lovie777]

7. The President of Hungry recently said .....

Those who controls the media controls the narrative. The alarm has been sounding off for quite sometime. It needs to be shut off, and more "open" journalism needs to prevail.

[Lonestarblue]

32. Hitler knew this and established his own Nazi newspaper, along with many other forms of

Nazi propaganda. He created a sense of victimization for non-Jewish German citizens by blaming Jews for Germany’s economic woes. Sound familiar? Republicans live to bash George Soros for supporting Democrats, but they’re not so subtly bashing Jews at the same time.

Putin controls the media in Russia. It’s how totalitarian regimes survive.

Fox is 100% Republican propaganda, and Murdoch’s purchase of the WSJ turned their opinion pages into right-right justification and apologia for all things Republican. Billionaire Bezos hired Sally Buzbee as the head of the Post, and she has taken the Post in a rightward direction, most recently adding Jason Willick, of the WSJ Fox garbage opinion page, to the lineup of Republican defenders who mostly justify whatever Trump does. The Post does still publish progressive columnists like Jennifer Rubin and Eugene Robinson, but even their main articles often have a rightward bias, as when they cover everything Trump for days on end and leave an article on Biden signing a major bill up front for a few hours.

NPR is mostly still pretty balanced, though right-wing thinking does occasionally creep into their news programs.

[Ferrets are Cool]

8. A strong message was sent to all employees at CNN. Fall in line or you will be next.

It's despicable, but there it is.

[FBaggins]

11. It was already a dumpster fire

It's just that there's little reason to think that this makes it any less of one.

[Doc Sportello]

15. There are actually good journalists doing good journalism there

A democracy depends on an active media holding the powers that be to account. We don't have a lot of that anymore but Stelter and others on the network like Keilar, Acosta and others held the dump administration to account for four years. Yes it has too much of the breakign news BS but it is far from a dumpster fire. We're already seeing more RW guests on there spewing lies and that is not good for our democracy.

[Heather MC]

13. Why was anyone still watching CNN to begin with?

YouTube has much better independent news sources.

Did aren't trying to get us with glitz and glamor lol

[Pepsidog]

19. Please some recommendations. I watch You Tube and need good news sources.

[dbonds]

39. This is my favorite youtube channel for news

https://www.youtube.com/c/MeidasTouch

[SouthBayDem]

27. As bad as mainstream media may be

Too many youtubers are even worse with a lack of fact checking/quality control in favor of their own agendas. Gotta be real careful who to believe in the internet. Sam Seder’s Majority Report has funny political videos and even good in depth interviews.

[FoxNewsSucks]

35. Mainly for one simple reason

Turn on tv, there it is.

YouTube is readily available, but how does one know where to find a show or what to even search for to find a good news show? It's why AM radio did so well with talk shows. Just get in the car and there it is.

Immediacy and ease. One or two clicks of the remote or car radio, instead of a lot of navigating even to what you know about. I wish that weren't the case, but I think that's the main reason.

[Farmer-Rick]

14. There's always some filthy rich sociopath

Backing some hateful and destructive policy.

Look at now dead Pete Peterson who left behind his billions to work on doing away with Social Security. He's long dead but his son has billions tax free to push taking away your retirement.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

17. An unsubstantiated opinion piece from a former executive editor of the right wing National Enquirer

who also wrote for the right wing Murdoch owned papers the New York Post and The Sun (UK).

Use your heads people.

[Doc Sportello]

21. Some of us are and that means not having our heads in the sand

Here's a sampling of other reports:

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3609152-discovery-execs-flex-their-muscles-as-stelter-toobin-shown-the-door-at-cnn/

https://deadline.com/2022/08/cnn-firings-brian-stelter-chris-licht-john-malone-warner-bros-discovery-1235096292/


Funny how a poster with so few posts feels entitled to slur posters here who are on top of an evolving situation. Hopefully, these other reports meet your standards, but you seem to have an agenda on this topic.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

24. If you think the Zuckerberg era at CNN was a period that embodied good journalism

then we have a decided difference of opinion.

My only adenda is approaching the story from a position of rationality, rather than relying on invented quotes and fake stories from the Daily Kos.

CNN's "news" coverage could use massive improvement.

[Doc Sportello]

43. Thinking a push to the right for CNN is an improvement is not rational thinking

I've given a list in this thread of the journalists such as Stelter, Keilar and Acosta who have done great journalism during very trying times for the media in the dump era. They used facts to bolster their analysis. I urge you to watch Stelter's last show. Carl Bernstein and other solid journalists on and they explain why their work is so important in a democracy and the role that Reliable Sources played as CNN's longest-running media show.

CNN isn't perfect but your painting with a broad brush doesn't show rationality; it demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the work that Keilar and Stelter, especially, have done in holding repubs accountable. I doubt if you watched any of those segments but I can tell you definitely did embody good journalism when the country needed it most. That isn't partisanship - it's good journalism. BTW, if you want to talk about "fake news" and "made up quotes" (funny since those are the same terms RWers use) you need to back that up with examples and links from CNN. Unless you are deliberately trying to conflate CNN with the Daily Kos. then don't bother because that tells me all I need to know.

[Celerity]

28. sure, he is really repping the RW at TDB and carrying water for Murdoch - not

nice try

[Just A Box Of Rain]

30. So are you attempting to claim that Lachlan Cartwright wan't the executive editor of the right wing

National Enquirer or a reporter for a succession of right wing Murdoch-owned papers?

Because that won't fly.

His story is classic clickbait.

[Celerity]

37. you have done nothing to debunk the article, you just make ad hominem arguments and try to

introduce FUD.

I also showed you where Cartwright has repeatedly went after the Murdochs.

You seem pretty invested in trying to deny that Malone, Zaslav, and Licht are already have a deleterious impact on CNN and taking actions and making statements in terms of sliding it to the right.

His story is classic clickbait.

Nope, and TBD is hardly the only media outlet running with this.



From February:

Trump Donor John Malone Could Soon Be Calling Shots at CNN

https://fair.org/home/trump-donor-john-malone-could-soon-be-calling-shots-at-cnn/




and more recently


CNN Boss Chris Licht Warns Anxious Staffers Over “More Changes” After Axing Of ‘Reliable Sources’ And Exit Of Brian Stelter

https://deadline.com/2022/08/cnn-firings-brian-stelter-chris-licht-john-malone-warner-bros-discovery-1235096292/



CNN's new CEO met with GOP lawmakers to promise CNN will become more Republican

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/19/2117719/-CNN-s-new-CEO-met-with-GOP-lawmakers-to-promise-CNN-will-become-more-Republican



EPISODE 16: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN 8.22.22

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-16-countdown-with-keith-olbermann-8-22-22/id1633301179?i=1000576896358

https://barrettsportsmedia.com/2022/08/23/keith-olbermann-cnn-boss-chris-licht-is-a-corporate-butt-kisser/

“[Chris Licht] is the evil corporate butt kisser Frank Hackett from the classic movie “Network” come to life,” Olbermann said. “Thursday, Licht let it leak that he was canceling CNN’s 30-year-old media show Reliable Sources and firing its host Brian Stelter, who is a bet noir of the fascist crowd.

“Friday, Licht complained the story leaked, and he also told staffers, ‘there will be more changes, and you might not understand it or like it at all.'” Olbermann then went after Warner Bros. Discovery President David Zaslav for his repeated desire to be a centrist network and want the network to be a home for Democrats and Republicans.

However, Olbermann adds that those on the right have rejected mainstream outlets, some even moving away from Fox News. “Plus, there’s Licht’s boss David Zaslav, who previously said America needs a news network where everybody can come and be heard; Republicans, Democrats,” Olbermann said.

“The stupidity of that, of course, is that Republicans long ago rejected CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, Washington Post, New York Post, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse. They’ve even now begun to reject Fox.”

snip


NPR’s Eric Deggans Warns CNN Against Creating ‘False Equivalence’ Between Left- and Right-Wing Politics

https://www.thewrap.com/npr-eric-deggans-warns-cnn-false-equivalence-left-right-video/

NPR’s Eric Deggans has some concern about the more apolitical direction that CNN is seeking under its new boss Chris Licht, saying on the network, “I hope that what we’re not going to see CNN do is institute some sort of false equivalence.”

On the final episode of“Reliable Sources” Sunday, the NPR TV critic said he thinks the problem with the perception of the media right now is the lens through which it looks at today’s politics and the lack of accountability for politicians who break the law or use damaging rhetoric.

“The problem is that people put a political lens on top of something that is about preserving democracy and about holding politicians accountable,” Deggans said during his segment on Brian Stelter’s final show, which was canceled last week. “When you have one politician who’s denouncing the press as the enemy of the people. When you have one politician who insists that he won an election that he did not win. When you have one politician who’s blaming immigrants unfairly for America’s ills, you have to have a journalism apparatus that is free to call out those excesses, without fear of being accused of being unfair. And I think that’s the problem.”

Link to tweet

Brian Stelter rebukes CNN on final show: ‘It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues’

Host says, ‘It is not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue,’ after CNN cancels media show Reliable Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/aug/22/brian-stelter-cnn-cancels-show-reliable-sources

Brian Stelter, host of CNN’s media affairs show Reliable Sources which was cancelled last week after 30 years on air, used his final episode on Sunday to make a pointed rebuke of the network’s new bosses and their intention to pursue a more “neutral voice” to its coverage.

“It is not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue,” Stelter said in his final monologue, which he stressed was unvetted by CNN management before he delivered it live. “It is not partisan to stand up to demagogues – it’s required, it’s patriotic.” He added: “We must make sure we do not give a platform to those who are lying to our faces.”

CNN gave Stelter his marching orders last Wednesday, just four months after the network came under new leadership appointed by its owners, Warner Brothers Discovery. CNN head Chris Licht, who took over after the February departure of Jeff Zucker, has indicated that he wants to tone down the opinion quotient of its shows and “return” to an older, straighter and in his view less overtly leftwing style of reporting.

It is perhaps predictable that Stelter was to become one of the first casualties among CNN’s stars under the new leadership. As NPR’s media correspondent, David Folkenflik, explained, Stelter was a thorn in the side of the Donald Trump White House, regularly exposing its lies and misinformation. As a result, he was “targeted for frequent criticism from conservatives for his coverage of the media during the Trump years”.

snip

Link to tweet

[Just A Box Of Rain]

38. Pointing out Lachlan Cartwright's long tenure working in senior position at right wing rags

including serving as the executive editor of the National Enquirer and working as a reporter for right wing Murdoch papers on both sides of the Atlantic is NOT an "ad hominem" attack, but rather a truthful rendition of the facts of the matter.

The Daily Kos "article" you linked to was not vetted by anyone, and they say so when one clicks the link. This article invents things that Chris Licht never said.

I think some healthy skepticism is in order.

[Doc Sportello]

44. Talk about making things up

You have been given plenty of countering articles and facts, while you keep repeating this mantra about the author as if that answers everything while ignoring tons of differing takes and facts and using ad hominem attacks. Sorry, but Celerity kicked your butt on this one.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

47. Somebody making false and unvetted claims on Daily Kos

does not count as "facts".

Licht desiring to raise journalistic standards at CNN and to move way from sensationalism (every story being "BREAKING NEWS" ) are good moves IMO. Nothing remotely right wing about that.

The liberal Democratic position prevails as the one that is sane and rational when the news is presented in a straight fashion

[Doc Sportello]

48. You are conflating CNN with the Daily Kos?

This discussion is about CNN, not the Daily Kos, no matter how many times you try to pull this stunt. There is nothing sane or rational about doing that. It's actually the fake news you claim to be against. You haven't come up with one fact, just smears against CNN which - as I pointed out in another thread - has serious and good journalists like Stelter and Keilar. Check out their past work then get back to us. Hopefully you will have learned something about their coverage of dump - and it was factual and responsible.

BTW, if you think these moves are because "Licht wants to raise journalistic standards" then there is nothing sane in your argument. It's the same excuse being used by RWers. This is about power, pure and simple. He's an errand boy doing the dirty work of higher ups.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

50. Follow the links. One was to an unvetted story that invents claims against Licht.

It is an unverified story.

I'm not "pulling any stunts," and ascribing bad motives to people is against the TOS.


I have not "smeared" CNN. I do think they could use a serious upgrade by providing more news and less opinion-entertainment that alternates with the disaster of the moment coverage.

Having great news sources that people can trust works to our benefit as liberal Democrats.

[Doc Sportello]

51. And where are these "invented claims" you speak of?

The story links to the New York Times. So your point is the Times is making up quotes?

Again not one single link to prove your claims. And thanks anyway for the advice about the TOS. Better luck next time. If you have to go that route instead of facts, well ...

[Just A Box Of Rain]

54. It doesn't point to the New York Times it links to the right wing Washington Free Beacon.

Oops.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/19/2117719/-CNN-s-new-CEO-met-with-GOP-lawmakers-to-promise-CNN-will-become-more-Republican

And Licht never promised to make "CNN more Republican." That's malarkey!

Media Bias / Fact Check rates the Washington Free Beacon as somewhere between right wing and extreme right wing.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/washington-free-beacon/

[Doc Sportello]

57. Oops on you

Putting it charitably, perhaps you are thinking of another thread? You're posting in this thread:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17072942

This is a Daily Beast article that links to the NYT. The first linked article using quotes is a link to the New York Times.

Now my advice to you: time to take a step back and take a deep breath, maybe go for a walk. When you can't even get the article right you're commenting on that could be a sign of emotion over rationality, could it not?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

58. My reference in this instance was to the "evidence" of other news stories

that included Daily Kos (as I have explained multiple times).

I'm not sure I'm the one in need of a walk. You might want to review the thread and then offer me an apology.

[Doc Sportello]

59. OMG

You can't just "reference" other stories as if they apply to this thread - which in this case is conflating CNN and Daily Kos based on nothing. The thread is about CNN. Get it, CNN. Nothing you linked to has anything to do with the story or the author on this thread. Nor do they have anything to do with CNN. That's like posting about making chocolate cake and referring to recipes for blueberry pie. Sheesh.

The only apology here should be yours. Both Celerity and I argued honestly here with links, facts and rationality. But it's obvious there is a blind spot here and not worth continuing. BTW, your alert was voted down.

Off to ignore you go. BYEEE

[Just A Box Of Rain]

60. Dude, the Daily Kos article was linked by another poster as "evidence" in Post #30.

I was directly responding to that post.

Thank you for putting me on ignore. That's a relief.

[Pepsidog]

18. MSNBC step up and hire Stelter.

[Doc Sportello]

20. Great, looks like Briana Keilar and others are next

Keilar did fantastic journalism with her fact-based segments taking the repub liars to account. She often used their own quotes to show their hypocrisy and lies, but she will be gone. Also, from what I read frequent dump critic Jim Acosta and even Jake Tapper are set to go as well.

I don't get these attacks from DUers on CNN journalists who performed the extremely necessary act in a democracy of holding the repubs in power accountable. Acting like a rightward shift of CNN based on marching orders from a RW billionaire is no big deal, to me shows a level of ignorance about media's role in a democracy. For all its faults CNN played a role in counteracting the Orwellian narrative spun by the right the past four years. What's going on at CNN matters for our democracy.

[miyazaki]

49. +1000.

Nicely said.

[Ford_Prefect]

26. IMO Malone sees a power vacuum where Fox News has lost influence and credibility.

[Desert Dog]

36. Trouble

This is a big problem. CNN helps define the norm. This move is going to be an effort to whitewash crazy christian right goals. All those stories we think should be dominating the week will get a few hours on the day they happen, then back to vanilla BS. People say they want more good news. Is this the crowd CNN wants? Will be interesting to see how they handle changes in power. Are they pro govt / happy news despite political changes , or do they drift back and forth? That is one of the most alarming things about Fox bias. When GOP is in power, they are administration cheerleaders. When the Democrats are in power, they whine about everything and free form create bizarre issues.

This is going to hurt us on Google / social media too. Those sites love to link to CNN and Fox stories. Right wing propaganda is going to dominate that aggregate market. Sure seems like it is time for a pro left news service. Maybe if it came from a foreign nation? If CNN is going to go soft, maybe the answer is Hard News. Edgy. In your face. Tell it like it is. Less nuance and more concise. Make it a generational thing. Stop the BS and tell it like it is. There is enough crazy stuff going on that the left should be able to cherry pick stories too. What if there was a world aggregation aspect to the service? Pluck big stories from around the world. Maybe acquire existing stories from other news services?

Weird this is happening as big corporations like Walmart and Disney are supporting reproductive rights. Sometimes you think you are making progress is the corporate world and then someone comes in with a wad of cash and changes the information landscape. While not a new phenomena, the size of the transaction and it's potential effects are alarming.

[Doc Sportello]

46. Good point about the links

I've seen so many posts on here saying "I don't care, I get my news from the internet" - not thinking that often these are mostly aggregator sites that, as you point out, use links to CNN to support their "news". This move is not good news for those who think solid journalism is an important part of our democracy.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

55. There is zero evidence that Chris Licht is looking to "whitewash crazy christian right goals."

[UTUSN]

41. Paging COLBERT: Take your ex-producer back and lay some whoopass on him.

[Baggies]

45. Networks come, networks go

CNN has been trash for a while. I doubt trying to shift streams will help. They should have never shifted to the one that got them to where they are now.

[Raster]

52. Too fucking late: CNN is Fox News Lite.

[Initech]

56. The right wing ruins everything!

[tenderfoot]

61. CNN has been crap since the mid-1990s

eom

[Blue Owl]

62. More like a tRumpster Fire