The removal of Laura Coates, a well-liked anchor at CNN, from her temporary hosting position has raised concerns among multiple staff members at the network about diversity. Coates had been filling in for Don Lemon and had competently anchored the 9 p.m. time slot for several months.
Business Insider.com reported that while CNN has been striving to adopt a balanced reporting style encompassing both sides of the political spectrum, some employees are concerned that this shift towards centrism may be detrimental to individuals of color. These concerns emerged after Coates’ interview with Republican Jim Jordan on her SiriusXM show.
According to three CNN employees and other anonymous insiders in the news industry, Laura Coates appeared to be the perfect candidate to take over the network’s 11 p.m. time slot, with news of her appointment to the role in January. However, in recent weeks, Coates was informed that CNN could not provide a separate hour for her. Instead, Alisyn Camerota, who anchors at 10 p.m., would be extended for another hour.
Camerota and Coates had previously shared co-hosting duties during the two-hour time slot, with each of them anchoring solo from 10-12 p.m. before they were given individual hours on a temporary basis earlier this year. Coates last anchored at 11 p.m. alone in February. While she will continue her tenure at CNN as a senior legal analyst, a source familiar with her thoughts expressed to Insider that she is “disheartened” and “shocked” by the lack of opportunities given to her to audition for her time slot.
“The concern is that it’s all white people who don’t have experience anchoring — while surrounding them with [contributors who are] African American and people of color is a sleight of hand,” said one CNN insider. “To have someone made anchor after five to six months’ experience is insulting to journalists of color who have been there for a long time and have established themselves as credible journalists.”
Currently, employees are not raising the issue through formal channels. According to an insider at CNN, some Black employees are discussing the problem privately, but there is a fear that management will not act because the network may prioritize making conservatives happy, possibly at the expense of people of color. A CNN staff member expressed disappointment among many Black colleagues over the lack of opportunities to compete for high-profile solo anchor positions that offer much higher salaries.
CNN reportedly seeks to secure two prominent Black voices to co-anchor a primetime show. While the network has held discussions with CBS’ Gayle King and TNT sports commentator Charles Barkley, it’s worth noting that neither is a CNN journalist, as highlighted by two of Insider’s sources. Furthermore, even if negotiations with King and Barkley result in a deal, their program would only fill a single hour of TV per week for a few months.
Dorothy Tucker, the president of the National Association of Black Journalists, informed Insider that the organization was unaware of the grievances raised by the Black employees at CNN. However, in a written statement, she mentioned that the association will investigate the matter by contacting some members.
