CNN boss Chris Licht’s behavior gets even stranger

| 10:00 pm EDT May 22, 2023
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

Quotes can be symbolic trinkets we carry in the warmth of our consciousness, giving us comfort and a bit of brightness in our everyday lives One of my favorite quotes is the following: “Dawn comes after the darkness, and with it, the promise that what has been torn by the sea is not lost.”

Those haunting words are true. And they have defined the Trump and Biden years. We suffered darkness for four long years, and then the beauty of dawn came in President Biden. And so has darkness come to CNN. Reports are staff are feeling emotionally wounded. That they feel as if nobody is listening.

Many are still reeling from Donald Trump’s disgusting town hall. Journalists there feel ashamed and embarrassed. They feel shame toward their network. In the meantime, Chris Licht is admitting he got some things wrong regarding the town hall. One of those things is — the camera angles.

I am not kidding. This is the lesson that Licht took away — that the camera should have hovered on Kaitlin Collins’s face longer. No wonder CNN staff are feeling so very dark. And CNN executives are celebratory that some Republicans went on CNN and not on Fox. It’s a bit of a mess right now at CNN. I feel for some of the staff.

But: (And it’s a big but) Dawn does come after darkness. Licht will not be with CNN permanently. The network is in the middle of a collapse, but at some point, Licht will be out.

Some people have warned that someone even worse will come in. But I doubt it. Eventually, in cable news, it all comes down to ratings. And money. And CNN is losing money AND ratings.

I think that over time CNN will reach its “bottom.” And perhaps then, the dawn will come. CNN is not the only network to try new things that don’t work. When those things fail, eventually they’re noticed and changes happen.

And yes, CNN’s turnaround has been awful. But they still have some quality journalists like Amenpour and Jim Acosta. CNN’s dawn might come, and it might be sooner than one would think.

Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.