'Kid gloves': CNN CEO urged reporters to go easy on Trump ahead of inauguration

22 January

On Sunday, January 19 — the day before President Donald Trump's second inauguration — CNN held a staff meeting to discuss coverage.

The attendees ranged from CEO Mark Thompson to top hosts Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper. And according to reporting from Status' Oliver Darcy and later, the Daily Beast's Sean Craig, Thompson urged CNN journalists to avoid focusing heavily on Trump controversies of the past.

Darcy reports, "During the meeting, which was held virtually and attended by the likes of Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, Thompson offered guidance about how he wanted to see the network cover Inauguration Day. Thompson indicated to attendees, I'm told, that he wanted his journalists to be forward-thinking and to avoid pre-judging Trump. He cautioned against expressing any outrage of their own, as many of the anchors who make up CNN's roster of journalists had previously done with regularity during Trump's first term."

Craig notes that during Trump's first term as president, CNN was "under the leadership of Jeff Zucker" — and he "threw the weight of CNN at Trump."

Craig reports, "Thompson would have none of that and urged talent to withhold expressions of indignation aimed at Trump or his conduct…. When the call with Thompson wrapped up, no one spoke up, Status said, suggesting the message to treat the president with kid gloves had been received."

According to Craig, "(Thompson) does not want them endlessly poking the eye of the sitting president and believes that Trump should be shown some deference. And he has made it clear that he wants the MAGA movement to have a seat at the table when discussing political topics.... even if certain pundits do use the platform to make incendiary and sometimes false claims."

Craig adds that on Tuesday, January 21 — the day after Trump was sworn in as president — Thompson "addressed CNN's daily editorial meeting again."

"He doubled down on his instruction from two days earlier, Status reported, though did tell them they could be 'fair-minded' without being 'tough-minded,'" Craig explains. "CNN did not immediately reply to a request for comment."

Read Status' full article at this link and the Daily Beast's reporting here (subscription required).

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