CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy gave a brutal review of now ex-boss Chris Licht's time at the Left-leaning network, citing a "series of severe missteps."
On Wednesday, Darcy told his colleague anchor Kate Bolduan that Licht's many mistakes led to "shrinking profits" and "really low morale" for the network's reputation.
Hours earlier, news broke that Licht was fired from his position after facing a tumultuous year in which he attempted to reinvent CNN. However, his actions backfired, causing viewership to decline further.
Licht's move of inviting former President Trump to attend a CNN town hall reportedly was one of the last straws.
Earlier this week, Darcy published a scathing article on the network's former CEO, criticizing Licht's job at CNN, arguing that he had "lost the room," foreshadowing Licht's time at the network was limited.
In Monday's "Reliable Sources" newsletter edition, Darcy questioned Licht's ability to run the network and its staff. He noted that the ex-CEO "alienated much of the employee base and squandered the goodwill he had when he took the helm of the network," adding that Licht's effort to "reset relations more than a year into his tenure" was too late.
"In the eyes of so many at CNN, there isn't anything Licht can do at this point to win over their support. They've hit the wall with him," Darcy wrote, referring to an explosive article by The Atlantic where Licht allowed a reporter to follow him around during his first and only year at CNN.
On Monday, Licht apologized to staff after the exposé was released revealing CNN employees in lousy light. However, by then, many were already calling for Licht to be fired despite announcing he would move his office to the 18th floor of the building.
"We don't want his office relocated to the 18th floor; we want it relocated out of the building," an anchor reportedly texted Darcy.
Darcy offered a grim outlook for the future of the network, saying that CNN "faces a crisis."
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