In a new story on an attempt to restore the network to a nonpartisan approach to news, cnn hosts Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter were criticized by conservatives as the "face of the network's liberal shift."During the reign of recently fired CEO Jeff Zucker, CNN shifted sharply to the left, but the current leadership claims it will regain credibility by taking a less politicized approach. Chris Licht, the new CNN chairman and CEO, had told employees that he would "double down on what's working well and fast delete what isn't," but there have been lingering worries about which programs or personalities might be cut.According to an Axios story published Tuesday, Licht is examining whether staffers can transition to the less contentious style, and anyone who doesn't "may be fired" so they don't continue to harm CNN's reputation, according to "three sources familiar with the subject." In the early weeks of his term, Licht is evaluating the entire network's operations.According to Axios' Sara Fischer, "certain on-air personalities, including Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter, have become the face of the network's left turn."
Because she's been a guest on Fischer's Sunday "Reliable Sources" program, the inclusion of Stelter as an example of CNN hosts who could be fired raised eyebrows among media experts. Stelter, on the other hand, has a reputation for defending liberal media institutions at all costs while viciously bashing conservatives. He was a vocal opponent of former President Trump and collaborated closely with Zucker before his ouster in February.
Stelter did not respond to a request for comment right away.
According to a CNN insider, Fischer simply stated that Stelter and Acosta are targeted by the right, but they aren't named as targets.The inclusion of Acosta was unsurprising, since the outspokenly liberal broadcaster has always been seen as one of CNN's more political figures.
During the Trump administration, he built a name for himself as CNN's top White House reporter, where he was known for shouting questions, bombastic on-air editorials, and fighting with the president and other officials of the administration. Trump sparred with Acosta on several occasions, referring to him as "fake news" on several occasions. When President Biden took office, CNN shifted Acosta from his White House assignment to a weekend anchor and "domestic reporter" post, where he continues to make no secret of his politics; for months, his pinned tweet was a link to his own program calling Trump a "insult to clowns.""Licht doesn't want to shy away from personality programming, especially in prime time," Fischer wrote, "but he wants to make sure that partisan voices don't dominate in a way that hurts CNN."
Acosta did not respond to a request for comment right away.
Licht previously stated that he would "reimagine" CNN's morning show, which is now co-hosted by Brianna Keilar, who has a reputation for confrontational encounters with conservatives. It's unclear whether she'll be a part of the redesigned morning program, which is set to launch this September.
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