CNN boss Mark Thompson instructed greater than 100 journalists and prime on-air expertise together with Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper that they must keep away from “pre-judging” President-elect Donald Trump whereas cautioning them “against expressing any outrage of their own” in the course of the inauguration, in accordance with a report.
Thompson convened a digital editorial assembly Sunday that included Tapper, Cooper and scores of different senior information personalities to debate CNN’s protection of the inaugural ceremonies that happened the subsequent day in Washington, DC, in accordance with the Standing e-newsletter.
In the course of the assembly, Thompson “made it clear that he did not want the coverage to relitigate the past,” in accordance with Standing reporter Oliver Darcy — an allusion to CNN’s traditionally hostile relationship with Trump.
Thompson requested his fees to keep away from editorializing in addition to to steer protection away from specializing in Trump’s authorized issues, together with convictions for falsifying enterprise paperwork associated to the alleged Stormy Daniels “hush money” fee, in accordance with the report.
As an alternative, he urged CNN staffers to give attention to Trump’s second time period and to be “open-minded” concerning the subsequent 4 years, in accordance with Standing.
A CNN spokesperson declined to remark. The community is reportedly planning to put off a whole lot of staff on Thursday.
On the finish of the decision, Thompson reportedly opened the ground to permit staffers to ask questions, however no person spoke up, the report mentioned.
“What Thompson and other top brass had communicated was clear and none of the meeting participants apparently had the desire to question the guidance,” Darcy wrote.
On Tuesday, Thompson convened one more digital editorial name to reiterate his message.
Thompson instructed CNN workers that they need to stay “tough-minded” in protection whereas on the identical time being “fair-minded,” in accordance with Standing.
In the course of the name, Virginia Moseley, CNN’s government editor, joked that CNN was “out of practice” dealing with the relentless information cycle generated by Trump, a problem that may rapidly intensify within the coming years.
Thompson’s technique marks a shift within the community’s protection of Trump underneath former CNN boss Jeff Zucker.
CNN has struggled to maintain up with MSNBC and Fox Information within the rankings race — which was mirrored within the numbers for the inauguration.
Fox Information, which shares widespread possession with The Publish, dominated tv viewership throughout Trump’s inauguration, drawing 10.3 million viewers between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, surpassing all different networks.
ABC (with 4.7 million viewers), NBC (4.4 million) and CBS (4.1 million) adopted.
By comparability, CNN’s protection of Trump’s second inauguration drew 1.135 million complete viewers, surpassing MSNBC and peaking at 1.802 million throughout his Oath of Workplace and inaugural speech.
The community has touted its digital and streaming platforms such because the CNN.com web site in addition to the Max service.
CNN Max noticed report engagement on Inauguration Day 2025, rating amongst its prime 10 days since launching within the fall of 2023.
CNN Digital additionally skilled a surge, reaching 21 million distinctive guests and peaking at 541,000 concurrent streams throughout its platforms, marking its greatest efficiency since election week, in accordance with inner information obtained by The Publish.
Total tv viewership for the occasion declined considerably in comparison with Trump’s 2017 inauguration, reflecting a broader drop in cable audiences over time.
Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 drew roughly 30.6 million viewers, whereas Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration attracted almost 33.8 million.
In distinction, Trump’s second inauguration in 2025 noticed a decline in viewership, with round 24.6 million tuning in, the bottom since Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
CNN’s company mother or father, Warner Bros. Discovery, has made it clear it needs the community to undertake a extra impartial tone in its dealings with Trump.
Throughout Zucker’s tenure, CNN reporters and anchors recurrently editorialized whereas protecting the primary Trump administration from 2017 till 2021.
Jim Acosta, who was White Home senior correspondent, routinely clashed with the Trump White Home.
In line with the brand new insurance policies at CNN, Thompson reportedly needs Acosta to broadcast his nightly present starting at midnight — when viewership is generally decrease.
