Understanding the Role of Online Reputation Management in the Ousting of CNN’s Chris Licht

By Recover Reputation

Chris Licht, the ex-CEO of CNN, was fired following a series of events, ranging from controversial decisions to a decrease in viewership, all culminating in just a brief 13-month tenure. The pivotal blow, however, came in the form of a critical article in The Atlantic. It portrayed Licht as a leader facing mistrust, which seemingly tipping the scales toward his departure.

While industry pundits might dissect the dismissal, I’d like to examine the situation through the lens of online reputation management. CNN had been grappling with issues for some time, but the image of Licht described in the Atlantic article seemed to have played a significant role in his downfall.

The Atlantic’s piece, which initially intended to show an insider’s view of cable news, instead exposed an unflattering portrayal describing hubris and arrogance. Alongside criticism over Donald Trump’s Town Hall, this led to increasing discontent from CNN staff and even resulted in the loss of confidence from major anchors.

Regardless of whether The Atlantic’s depiction of the CEO was justified or not, the damage was done, making it clear that Licht’s tenure as CNN’s leader was imminent.

This chain of events underscores the crucial role of online reputation management, especially for prominent individuals and organizations. Information — be it positive or negative — spreads rapidly, reaching large audiences within minutes. As we see here, a single disparaging article can inflict massive harm on an individual’s or organization’s online and offline reputation.

But, remember, in some instances, regardless of apologies and internal dialogues, recovery might be impossible if the damage inflicted is too severe. In this instance, this certainly seems to have been the case.