As CNN loses viewers and faces massive backlash over its town hall with President Donald Trump last week, the network’s CEO, Chris Licht, is taking matters into his own hands.
Left-wing CNN reporter Oliver Darcy was scolded by Licht over his “emotional” coverage of the town hall, according to reports.
“Darcy was summoned for a meeting with Licht and other top CNN executives, who took exception to the overzealous framing of the fallout the network has received, particularly from liberals. Darcy appeared to join the choir of CNN criticism in his ‘Reliable Sources’ newsletter Wednesday night after the town hall,” Fox News Digital reported.
A source said Licht told Darcy “not to be emotional,” with top brass telling him “his coverage had been too emotional and [Licht] repeatedly stressed the importance of remaining dispassionate when covering the news, be it CNN or any other media organization,” as the report noted.
“Darcy stood by his work and pushed back on the ‘emotional’ characterization, one source with knowledge of the meeting said. But afterward two sources who heard about the meeting described him as visibly shaken. ‘They put the fear of God into him,’ one source said,” Puck News reported.
In a Wednesday “Reliable Sources” newsletter, previously authored by fired ex-anchor Brian Stelter, Darcy wrote, “It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening.”
“On and on it went. It felt like 2016 all over again. It was Trump’s unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage. And Collins was put in an uncomfortable position, given the town hall was conducted in front of a Republican audience that applauded Trump, giving a sense of unintended endorsement to his shameful antics. Yes, some news was made… But for most of the night, the nation’s eyes were transfixed on Trump’s abuse of the platform that he was given,” he added.
In a desperate plea following the CNN town hall, the network’s popular anchor, Anderson Cooper, told viewers, “You have every right to be outraged and angry and never watch this network again. But do you think staying in your silo and only listening to people you agree with is going to make that person go away?”
What was “unhinged” about the discussion?
The Left calls anyone who disagrees with their warped, agenda focused perspective as “unhinged.”