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Incoming CNN chief: I’m signing off Twitter once I start my new job

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

Incoming CNN president Chris Licht says he’ll be giving up Twitter when he assumes the role at the top of the flailing network.

Licht was previously announced as the choice to replace Jeff Zucker at the network and is set to start May 2, 2022.

In a tweet April 18, 2022, Licht wrote “May 2 will be my first official day in the office at CNN & my last day on Twitter.”

He continued by saying “Twitter can be a great journalistic tool, but it can also skew what’s really important in the world. I’m logging off & looking forward to working with the incredible team at CNN.”

It’s certainly true that Twitter and other social media networks have played a huge role in providing biased information — and misinformation, a problem that appears to be growing every year.

Licht did note that the social network can still be a “great journalistic tool,” which was perhaps a wise caveat for Licht to note given that most networks, including CNN, maintain heavy presence on the platforms; as do their anchors and reporters.

Social media networks can also play a role in driving traffic to both digital properties, such as CNN.com, and its linear channel and streaming properties, though how well they do that is debatable, especially as the owners try to juggle algorithms to display just the right blend of viral videos, personal updates from connections and bona fide news content.

Licht’s absence from Twitter is likely mostly symbolic (he’s not a heavy user of the platform) but it could provide hints at how he plans to approach managing CNN going forward, which Axios reported is likely to become more center-of-the-road and less opinion oriented.

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