CNN Colleagues Praise Christiane Amanpour After She Criticizes Network’s Trump Town Hall
Veteran CNN International anchor, Christiane Amanpour, received a bevy of support from colleagues this week after she spoke candidly about her boss Chris Licht and the network’s recent Trump town hall.
Amanpour delivered the commencement address at Columbia Journalism School on Wednesday and pulled no punches in criticizing the town hall, but also looked to reassure CNN’s viewers.
“I have always opted to speak out when staying silent might have been easier,” Amanpour said in her address.
“I want to do what’s right and empathize with and acknowledge all of those who need to trust us at CNN. I understand that for many of us the town hall was an earthquake,” she added.
In her remarks, she also addressed Licht directly, saying, “We had a very robust exchange of views.”
“My management believes they did the right thing as service to the American people. I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format,” she concluded.
On Thursday morning, CNN anchor Sara Sidner posted a photo with Amanpour and wrote, “She’s a real one,” adding that Amanpour is “the best of us.” CNN journalist Erica Hill replied, “She is. Two of my favorite people and colleagues #truth.”
CNN’s Hong Kong correspondent Kristie Lu Stout tweeted the video of Amnapour’s address and added: “Chief @Amanpour addresses recent network decisions, and delivers a masterclass in journalism along with her mantra: ‘Be truthful, but not neutral. Both-siderism — ‘on the one hand, on the other hand’ — is not always objectivity. It does not get you to the truth.'”
Senior CNN producer Eliza Mackintosh echoed that exact sentiment: “Christiane @Amanpour addresses CNN’s decision to host Trump town hall, delivering a masterclass in journalism and sharing her mantra: ‘Be truthful, but not neutral. Bothsiderism — ‘on the one hand, on the other hand’ — is not always objectivity. It does not get you to the truth.’”
Anchor Isa Soares also tweeted the quote, as well as a link to CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy’s story on the Amanpour criticism. That story led Darcy’s Reliable Sources newsletter on Wednesday night.
Other CNN journalists tweeted out a link to the Darcy report, including CNN Chief International Investigative Correspondent Nima Elbagir, Jon Passantino, the editor of Reliable Sources, and CNN journalist Wynn Westmoreland.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper retweeted Westmoreland’s post.
The show of support for Amanpour comes amid internal turmoil at CNN over the fallout from the town hall. Licht called Darcy into his office for a lengthy chat over his tough coverage of the event, and CNN talent have spoken out publicly against it – although often anonymously.
Darcy addressed the tension at the top of his influential nightly newsletter, writing:
Hello there. Before we get started, a housekeeping note: I am heading off on a pre-planned vacation. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. I’ve covered many “pre-planned” vacations before. But I can assure you, this is *not* that. It’s my wife’s 30th birthday and we are headed off for a few days somewhere special. Rest assured, I’ll be back in your inbox on Wednesday. This newsletter will be on a mini-break until then.
