<p>Following the departure of CNN president Jeffrey Zucker, the network’s new owners are planning a shake-up that should leave CNN’s opinion hosts feeling “concerned” and “nervous” about their future, a guest told Brian Stelter on Sunday. During the exchange, Stelter said that CNN personalities found calls from incoming shareholders for the network to return to unbiased news “offensive” and “disturbing.”</p>
<p>Zucker’s resignation came as CNN is pending a sale that will put the cable news network under the control of Discovery CEO David Zaslav — and which could require CNN to give up much of its left-of-center commentary in favor of straight news reporting. “I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with and, you know, actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,” Liberty Media Chairman John Malone, who would be a key stockholder if the CNN-Discovery merger goes through, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-would-like-to-see-cnn-evolve-back-to-doing-news-actually-have-journalists-incoming-top-shareholder">told</a> CNBC last November.</p>
<p>“Many CNN staffers found that to be offensive,” said Stelter. “Jeff Zucker found that to be quite disturbing, because he&#8217;s looking at that thinking, what is Discovery&#8217;s key shareholder going to do to CNN.” Zucker, who took the helm in 2012, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-partisanship-and-profanity-save-cnn-from-its-ratings-collapse">directed</a> CNN’s emergence into an openly liberal, anti-Trump network and encouraged hosts to vent their political views.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists,&quot; claimed John Malone, the top shareholder of Discovery, which is poised to take over the network. <a href="https://t.co/QnNhQwgBY0">pic.twitter.com/QnNhQwgBY0</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mediaite (@Mediaite) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1461747950711971846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p>Stelter’s guest, Ken Auletta, who writes for The New Yorker, added that Malone has criticized CNN for “too much advocacy, too much commentary, too little reporting from the world. There&#8217;s some merit to that. I mean, CNN had always talked about how we cover the world like no one else &#8230; Well, they don&#8217;t do it.”</p>
<p>“If I was at CNN and I was an employee and I loved working under Jeff Zucker, for understandable reasons, I would be concerned,” said Auletta.</p>
<p>“There&#8217;s no question that David Zaslav, as he said to me in November at a public forum, believes that there&#8217;s too much commentary on CNN,” Auletta continued. “And if you watch CNN, the anchors are much more animated with opinions than they were when Ted Turner started the network back some three decades ago.”</p>
<p>“True,” replied host Brian Stelter, nodding.</p>
<p>“And so I would be a little nervous if I was at CNN, yes,” replied Auletta.</p>
<p>The exchange came just days after The Daily Mail reported that a CNN insider said, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-needs-to-step-up-and-fire-brian-stelter-cnn-insider">The network needs to step up and fire Brian Stelter</a>.” The unnamed network personality added, if Stelter “wants to say he didn’t know” about Zucker’s affair with CNN Executive Vice President Allison Gollust, “he is truly terrible at his job.”</p>
<p>Stelter, who dedicated much of his program to Zucker’s departure, revealed he may be far from the only one who should be anxious about his job security if the incoming owners want the network to stick to the facts. In the wake of Zucker’s resignation, Stelter said, “Staffers are angry. They&#8217;re angry at Warner Media. They&#8217;re angry at [Chris] Cuomo, and they&#8217;re wondering what happens now.”</p>
<p>“I&#8217;m told by sources that Discovery views this as a fresh start for CNN. And maybe in a year, people will look back and say this was a good thing for CNN,” Stelter said. “But it&#8217;s not what the staffers here wanted — and certainly not like this.”</p>
<p>Stelter tried to downplay Malone’s role in the future company, saying he “will just be one member of the board along with 12 or 13 or 14 others. So, should CNN anchors and reporters be concerned about John Malone&#8217;s views of CNN?”</p>
<p>Auletta immediately rebuffed Stelter, saying, “Well, of course.”</p>
<p>Auletta’s analysis seemed to echo the words of John Stankey, the CEO of AT&amp;T, which presently owns CNN.</p>
<p>“Jeff had a tremendous following within CNN, and there’s a lot of people who were incredibly loyal and supportive of him,” Stankey <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/business/media/att-discovery-cnn-jeff-zucker.html">said</a> on Friday. “That makes it hard for those individuals.”</p>
<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire</em>.</p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

CNN Guest: ‘I Would Be A Little Nervous If I Was At CNN’

CONTINUE READING

‘He Was A Live Donor’: For The First Time, We Have Proof Of China’s Organ Harvesting Operation

3 Times Liberals Condemned You For Their Sins

Everything You Need To Know About The Durham Probe

The Washington Post Says The World’s Second-Largest Church Supports Abortion. We Don’t. 

How Joe Biden Made Christian Persecution Even Worse

‘The Biden Administration Is A Loser’ In The 2022 Midterms: Democratic Strategist Offers Warning To His Party

News and Analysis

Brian Stelter

Jeff Zucker

Media Bias

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News and Analysis —

CNN Guest: ‘I Would Be A Little Nervous If I Was At CNN’