In an extraordinary turn of events, an Atlantic reporter has denied allegations that he deceived former CNN CEO Chris Licht into making negative comments about his predecessor, Jeff Zucker, while they were working out at the gym. This embarrassing incident, which was included in a highly impactful magazine profile, ultimately led to Licht’s dismissal.
According to a recent exposé published by Variety, reporter Tim Alberta was accused of provoking Licht to mock Zucker during their interview at the gym. The article quoted Licht as saying, “Zucker couldn’t do this sh-t,” as he performed intense squats with heavy weights. Variety claimed that Alberta had initially made the remark at the gym, and Licht had merely repeated it during the interview.
However, Alberta promptly took to Twitter to dispute these claims, particularly criticizing reporter Tatiana Siegel, who wrote the Variety piece. He emphasized that he had never met Zucker, had no knowledge of his lifestyle, and had not discussed him in any previous interviews. Alberta also revealed that the gym session was Licht’s idea at 6 in the morning, making it illogical for him to spontaneously blurt out such a comment. While Alberta didn’t explicitly deny prompting Licht, insiders noted that his response did not directly address the accusation.
An anonymous source corroborated claims from Siegel’s article, asserting that Alberta had indeed baited Licht with the squat challenge, saying, “I bet Zucker couldn’t do that sh-t.” The source also supported Siegel’s assertion that Licht and his communications team were taken by surprise with the quote, and Alberta hadn’t informed them it would be included in the story.
Alberta, an esteemed journalist, defended himself on Twitter, stating that The Atlantic’s fact-checkers had reviewed all notes and recordings, confirming the veracity of their story and affording Licht an opportunity to respond. Alberta criticized the act of publishing unverified background claims without seeking specific responses, emphasizing that it did not align with ethical journalism.
Both Variety and Siegel have yet to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Alberta reiterated on Twitter that he never met Zucker or had any knowledge of his lifestyle, contradicting Variety’s allegations that he had instigated Licht’s derogatory comments.
Since its release, Variety has stood by Siegel’s reporting, affirming their confidence in her investigative abilities. Alberta’s damning profile on Licht, which was published on June 2, exposed a network in upheaval under Licht’s leadership. He attempted to shift the network’s leaning more towards the center while attempting to win over a newsroom filled with loyalists of Zucker. Five days after the article’s publication, Licht was dismissed from CNN, with insider sources suggesting that the magazine profile was the final straw in a series of missteps during his short 13-month tenure.
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