Report: CNN’s Oliver Darcy May Resign After Scolding from Executives

CNN’s senior media reporter Oliver Darcy is reportedly considering resigning from the network after he was scolded by CNN CEO Chris Licht for his criticism of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump and told to be less emotional in his coverage.

According to Semafor, after the meeting and subsequent news coverage of the meeting, “Darcy has wondered to colleagues whether he should resign or if he will be fired by the network.”

SCOOP @PuckNews: CNN's Chris Licht summoned @OliverDarcy and his editor to a meeting with himself and top executives in which they told him that his coverage of Trump town hall had been too emotional and stressed the importance of remaining dispassionate: https://t.co/R0dgcOmgGa

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) May 12, 2023

PuckNews reported Friday about the meeting, where it said Licht “put the fear of God” in Darcy and that after the meeting, he was “visibly shaken.” Two sources told Semafor that Darcy rejected the idea his criticism of his network was emotional and he was reflecting internal CNN sentiment. One unnamed source claimed that Licht told Darcy that he supported him and that the meeting ended “cordially.”

Semafor also reported that two CNN executives — CNN’s Vice President of Editorial Virginia Moseley and CNN Standards and Senior VP of Global News Rachel Smolkin — who had been in the meeting had seen a newsletter Darcy wrote criticizing the town hall before it was published, but that during the meeting, they were “relatively quiet.”

Darcy’s reported considerations are part of continued fallout from the network hosting a town hall with Trump that was widely seen as advantageous to the former president in his bid for 2024, who dominated the stage and steamrolled CNN town hall moderator Kaitlan Collins.

Darcy took over the Reliable Sources newsletter from Brian Stelter, who was fired by Licht, and had written after the town hall, “It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening.”

Darcy also wrote that CNN and Licht were “facing a fury of criticism — both internally and externally.”

WATCH: CNN’s Tapper: Town Hall Audience Laughing at Trump’s Comments on E. Jean Carroll “Offensive”:

“How Licht and other CNN executives address the criticism in the coming days and weeks will be crucial. Will they defend what transpired at Saint Anselm College? Or will they express some regret? For now, CNN is defending itself,” he added.

Darcy was reportedly summoned for a meeting with Licht and other executives after that newsletter.

CNN’s reported internal dissent adds to the fallout of the town hall, which was part of Licht’s attempt to make the network more neutral in its coverage.

However, afterwards, establishment media and Democrats blasted the network, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying CNN should be “ashamed” of itself for giving Trump a platform.

On the contrary, Fox News Digital reported that Licht received a “ton” of messages from CNN staffers appalled by Darcy’s newsletter. The outlet reported that Licht asked Darcy, “I’m asking you to not be emotional.”

Fox News Digital noted: “Darcy cut his teeth in conservative media earlier in this career but has become one of its fiercest critics in his role at CNN.” Collins also reported for Daily Caller, a conservative outlet, before she went to CNN and has become one of the network’s top stars.

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