- CNN CEO Chris Licht has been hit with a torrent of criticism since a profile of him dropped Friday.
- CNN's media reporter, Oliver Darcy, wrote that Licht had "lost the room."
The hits keep coming for CNN CEO Chris Licht after The Atlantic published an unsparing profile of his leadership on Friday.
This time, it's coming from inside the house, as CNN's media reporter delivered a brutal assessment of Licht in Monday night's "Reliable Sources" newsletter.
"In the wake of The Atlantic's explosive story, I've spoken with dozens of staffers across the company," Darcy wrote. "There are a wide range of emotions coursing through the halls of CNN. Some staffers are frustrated. Others are angry. Many are sad about the awful state of affairs that has taken hold of an organization they love. There is one near-universal sentiment, however, that has been communicated to me: Licht has lost the room."
In fairness to Licht, Darcy also reported that the "somber" remarks the CEO delivered Monday had "struck the right tone." Darcy wrote that Licht had apologized to his employees for distracting from their work, saying he "should not be in the news, unless it is taking arrows" for CNN, and vowing to "fight like hell" to win their trust.
But still, lost the room? That's pretty damning coming from your own media reporter.
Darcy has not been shy in the past about using his platform for critical reporting on Licht. After the infamous town hall with Donald Trump in May, Darcy wrote that it was "hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening," adding that Licht was "facing a fury of criticism — both internally and externally over the event."
Puck's Dylan Byers reported that Darcy had been reprimanded by Licht for that one. Byers wrote that Darcy was called to a meeting in which Licht and other higher-ups "told him that his coverage had been too emotional and repeatedly stressed the importance of remaining dispassionate when covering the news, be it CNN or any other media organization."
Byers reported that Darcy had pushed back on the criticism but that two sources who saw him after the meeting described him as "visibly shaken."
Seems as if Darcy wasn't that scared, though, given this latest salvo.
The media universe has been buzzing about the profile and Licht's future at CNN since it dropped Friday — one bigwig likened it to watching a "snuff film."
Much of the speculation has centered on whether Licht has lost the support of the Warner Bros. Discovery boss, David Zaslav.
"In the last 48 hours, it has become clear, based on conversations with well-placed sources, that Zaslav's once steadfast support has wavered considerably," Byers reported Friday.
On Thursday, the day before the profile dropped, Zaslav installed David Leavy as a chief operating officer at CNN to help Licht manage the network. Leavy was WBD's chief corporate affairs officer and is close to Zaslav.
These aren't great signs, but can Licht make a comeback?
Probably not in the eyes of CNN staffers, according to Darcy.
"In the eyes of so many at CNN, there isn't anything Licht can do at this point to win over their support," he wrote.
CNN didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.