CNN chief Chris Licht had such a bad weekend that some thought he might tender his resignation when addressing the staff Monday morning. Instead, the 51-year-old offered an apology and vowed to earn back the trust of people he let down, reports CNBC. The controversy stems from an in-depth profile of Licht in the Atlantic that provides a scathing assessment of his first year on the job.
- Apology: "I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you," Licht told his staffers, per Variety. "Your work is what should be written about." At another point, he said: "To those whose trust I've lost, I will fight like hell to win it back."
- The profile: Read it here. Licht gave months of access to Atlantic reporter Tim Alberta for the piece headlined "Inside the Meltdown at CNN," and he likely regrets it now. The Hollywood Reporter has highlights. Among other things, Licht comes off as thin-skinned to criticism and out of touch with his news department (he moved the CEO office up to the executive suites from the news offices). One nugget in wide circulation has Licht telling Donald Trump to "have fun" before the network's town hall with him, an event that has been widely criticized by CNN's own staffers.