CNN chief Mark Thompson told more than 100 reporters and top on-air talent, including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper, that they should avoid “prejudice” of President Donald Trump while warning them “against expressing any anger their” during the inauguration. according to a report.
Thompson convened a virtual editorial meeting Sunday that included Tapper, Cooper and several other top news personalities to discuss CNN’s coverage of the inauguration ceremonies that took place the next day in Washington, D.C., according to the Status newsletter.
During the meeting, CEO Thompson “made it clear that he didn’t want the coverage to rehash the past,” according to Status reporter Oliver Darcy — a reference to CNN’s historically hostile relationship with Trump.
According to the report, Thompson asked his charges to avoid editorializing, as well as avoid coverage from focusing on Trump’s legal troubles, including convictions for falsifying business documents related to Stormy Daniel’s alleged “hush money” payment. , according to the report.
Instead, he asked CNN staffers to focus on Trump’s second term and be “open-minded” about the next four years, according to Status.
A CNN spokesman declined to comment.
At the end of the call, Thompson reportedly opened the floor to allow employees to ask questions, but no one spoke, the report said.
“What Thompson and other senior executives had communicated was clear, and none of the meeting participants seemed to want to question the instructions,” Darcy wrote.
On Tuesday, Thompson convened another virtual editorial call to reiterate his message.
Thompson told CNN staff that they must remain “tough-minded” in coverage while at the same time being “fair-minded,” according to Status.
During the call, Virginia Moseley, CNN’s executive editor, joked that CNN was “out of practice” handling the relentless Trump-generated news cycle, a challenge that will quickly intensify in the coming years.
Thompson’s strategy marks a shift in the network’s coverage of Trump under former CNN chief Jeff Zucker.
CNN has struggled to keep up with MSNBC and Fox News in the ratings race — which was reflected in the numbers for the inauguration.
Fox News, which shares joint ownership with The Post, dominated TV viewership during Trump’s inauguration, drawing 10.3 million viewers between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, outpacing all other networks.
ABC, NBC and CBS followed, with 4.7 million, 4.4 million and 4.1 million viewers, respectively.
By comparison, CNN’s coverage of Trump’s second inauguration drew 1.135 million total viewers, surpassing MSNBC and peaking at 1.802 million during his Oath of Office and inaugural address.
The network has promoted its digital and broadcast platforms, such as the CNN.com website and the Max service.
CNN Max saw record engagement on Inauguration Day 2025, ranking among its top 10 days since inception in fall 2023.
CNN Digital also experienced growth, reaching 21 million unique visitors and peaking at 541,000 concurrent streams across its platforms, marking its best performance since election week, according to internal data obtained by The Post.
Overall television viewership for the event fell sharply compared to Trump’s 2017 inauguration, reflecting a broader decline in cable audiences over the years.
Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 drew about 30.6 million viewers, while Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration drew nearly 33.8 million.
In contrast, Trump’s second inauguration in 2025 saw a drop in viewership, with about 24.6 million viewers, the lowest since Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
CNN’s parent corporation, Warner Bros. Discovery has made it clear that it wants the network to adopt a more neutral tone in its dealings with Trump.
During Zucker’s tenure, CNN reporters and anchors regularly editorialized while covering the first Trump administration from 2017 to 2021.
Jim Acosta, who was a senior White House correspondent, routinely clashed with the Trump White House.
In keeping with new policies at CNN, Thompson reportedly wants Acosta to air his nightly show starting at midnight — where viewership is traditionally lowest.
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