Upon replacing Jeff Zucker, interim leader Michael Bass urged CNN staff to "honor his legacy." Appointed to temporarily take over Zucker's role were three fellow executives, Amy Entelis, Ken Jautz, and Michael Bass. The latter wasted no time in touting the accomplishments of his predecessor.
On Wednesday, longtime CNN president Jeff Zucker announced his resignation, explaining that he had failed to disclose to the company "a consensual relationship" with another senior executive.
The morning after Zucker resigned, CNN held its first editorial call under the new leadership.
"I know we're all in shock," Michael Bass said on CNN's 9am editorial call today. "You can't replace Jeff. It's not possible. There's no one else like him." So "the best thing we can do is honor his legacy and continue his mission." "Do what we've been doing every single day."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 3, 2022
"I know we're all in shock," Bass said according to Brian Stelter, host of CNN's Reliable Sources. "You can't replace Jeff. It's not possible. There's no one else like him."
"The best thing we can do is honor his legacy and continue his mission," Bass continued. "Do what we've been doing every single day."
From @brianstelter's newsletter. Reactions from CNN journalists.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) February 3, 2022
"One anchor said that without Zucker, CNN could have caved to political pressure and become something like 'Fox News lite.' That type of unease is very much alive in the organization now that Zucker is gone..."
In his newsletter, Stelter shared the reaction of fellow CNN journalists. "One anchor," he wrote, "said that without Zucker, CNN could have caved to political pressure and become something like 'Fox News lite'," adding that, "That type of unease is very much alive in the organization now that Zucker is gone."
This fear is based on the fact that CNN's top stakeholder is billionaire John Malone, who has previously praised Fox News and urged CNN to go "back to actual journalism."
According to reports, under Zucker's leadership, CNN has maintained a fairly steady primetime audience, but has seen a 29 percent drop in key demographic viewership since he took over in 2013.
Zucker's departure garnered mixed reactions from those outside CNN, with some applauding the move, and others wondering if perhaps it was too harsh a punishment for not divulging a relationship that was, after all, consensual.
"As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo's tenure at CNN," Zucker said, "I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong."
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