CNN anchors Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper allegedly instructed to avoid ‘outrage’ during Donald Trump’s inauguration coverage

CNN’s new CEO, Mark Thompson, has reportedly urged employees to adopt a more neutral and open-minded approach to covering Donald Trump as the network prepares for the next four years under his administration. During a meeting with around 100 journalists, including prominent anchors Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper, Thompson emphasised the importance of avoiding personal bias and “pre-judging” Trump during coverage of his upcoming inauguration on January 20.

According to a report, the meeting, held on January 19, included a directive for staff to refrain from expressing personal outrage toward Trump, who defeated Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. “Don’t pre-judge the president,” Thompson reportedly told attendees, warning against “expressing any outrage of their own” toward the Republican leader. He also cautioned staff against revisiting the contentious history between CNN and Trump or focusing extensively on his legal troubles, including his conviction related to “hush money” payments. Instead, he encouraged journalists to approach their reporting with fairness and open-mindedness, stating, “Let’s not relitigate the past. We have to be open-minded about the next four years.”

The response from CNN’s staff was reportedly muted, with no questions or objections raised during the meeting. A follow-up report claimed, “What Thompson and other top brass had communicated was clear and none of the meeting participants apparently had the desire to question the guidance.” However, signs of resistance emerged shortly after, leading Thompson to reiterate his guidance in a follow-up meeting on January 21. In this session, he emphasised the need for “tough-minded” but “fair-minded” reporting on Trump’s administration. “We have to be tough when the moment calls for it but remain fair. That’s journalism,” he told the group.

Thompson’s push for a shift in editorial tone coincided with significant changes at CNN, including layoffs on January 23 that affected hundreds of employees. The move sparked criticism from Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher, who attributed the downsizing to CNN’s historically critical stance toward Trump. “When you have to order your journalists to be fair, it’s bad for journalism. It’s bad for business,” Gallagher commented.

Gallagher also mocked CNN’s decision to shift its focus toward digital platforms, saying, “It’s totally fine to pivot toward the digital future, but presently, people still watch television. Common sense thinks the former most trusted name in news failed to learn the big lesson of last year’s election, which is when all you do is trash Trump, you go the way of Biden-Harris.”

Gallagher further speculated that Thompson’s strategy was linked to the network’s decision to leave former anchor Jim Acosta out of its new programming schedule, adding, “Maybe that’s why CNN had to fire hundreds of employees. Maybe that’s why CNN is overhauling its lineup.”

Thompson’s approach represents a significant departure from the tactics employed by his predecessor, Jeff Zucker, under whose leadership CNN often adopted a combative stance toward Trump. Whether this recalibration will reshape CNN’s reputation and boost its ratings remains to be seen.

Financial Express could not independently validate the news report.