CNN’s new boss Mark Thompson told staff in his first meeting with them that the struggling cable TV news network is stuck in the past and is “nowhere near ready for the future.”
Thompson, the former New York Times and BBC chief, said via video message Monday that conventional TV “can no longer define us,” and added that CNN’s journalists shouldn’t be distracted by debates about balance or false equivalency.
Thompson, who replaces ousted CNN boss Chris Licht, added that he would draw upon his experience in helping transition the Gray Lady from print to digital in order to modernize the network.
“For most people under retirement age, the first place they turn for news is their phones, not their TVs. And news players who can’t or won’t respond to that revolution risk losing their audience and their business,” Thompson said.
Thompson noted the network has made some progress, such as the recent launch of CNN’s streaming offering on Max, dubbed CNN Max — but maintained “this company is still nowhere near ready for the future,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
“TV is vital and there’s urgent work to do there, especially as we rebuild prime time. But TV is also too dominant at CNN and digital too marginal,” he said.
Thompson led The Times for eight years before stepping down in 2020 after he amped up the publication’s digital subscription business and expanded into other areas such as games, cooking, and product recommendations.
He urged CNN staffers to define the news, not just react to it when speaking of the network’s mission and purpose.
“And let’s not second guess ourselves or get distracted by complicated arguments about balance or whataboutism or false equivalency. Let’s cover political news proportionately and fairly, but not be frightened of our own shadows,” he said.
CNN’s mission has been a hot-button topic under Thompson’s predecessor Licht, who was given the directive by David Zaslav, CEO of CNN-parent Warner Bros Discovery, to provide a more balanced spin on the news.
Prior to Licht’s arrival, then-CNN CEO Jeff Zucker had moved the network increasingly to the left, notably during the presidency of Donald Trump, which had proved to be a ratings bonanza for the network.
But once Trump left office, CNN’s viewership began to plummet and continued to do so under Licht, whose 13-month run as CEO was marked by some of the network’s lowest ratings ever.
Licht left CNN abruptly in June after a scathing profile in the Atlantic, which depicted the leader as thin-skinned, aloof, and paranoid about negative media coverage as well as resentful of lingering staff loyalty to Zucker, who was pushed out after failing to reveal a romantic relationship with a subordinate.
Critics have said Licht focused too much on programming and not enough on digital operations. While TV is where the bulk of CNN’s profits come from, that pie is shrinking as more consumers are cutting the cord for streaming.