New CNN chief Chris Licht says the cable news network will rein in the overuse of its “Breaking News” banner in television coverage.
“We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers,” Mr. Licht said in a Thursday note obtained by Axios. “You’ve already seen far less of the ’Breaking News’ banner across our programming.”
Mr. Licht, who wants to focus on traditional journalism, said he’s heard from “people both inside and outside the organization” that CNN uses the banner so much that it has watered down the meaning of the term.
“It has become such a fixture on every channel and network that its impact has become lost on the audience,” he wrote.
The network is updating its stylebook with guidelines for using the banner appropriately.
“It certainly will need tweaks, so we are open to feedback, but this is a great starting point to try to make ‘Breaking News’ mean something BIG is happening,” Mr. Licht said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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