Reese Schonfeld has not been shy in his criticism of CNN, a network he worked for in the 1980s. With the byline ‘Founding CEO of CNN,’ Schonfeld has, for years, written critical pieces for Huffington Post, including one yesterday titled, CNN: The Cratering News Network.
Now, CNN is firing back.
An CNN executive tells TVNewser, “Reese Schonfeld, who didn’t create CNN but happened to work there when it went on the air, hasn’t been involved with CNN since he was let go over 30 years ago. Holding him out as having insight into CNN is like seeking travel advice from someone who still thinks Yugoslavia and East Germany are countries.”
Okay then.
Schonfeld’s most recent piece was about this week’s NLRB decision compelling CNN to rehire 100 people it laid off in 2003. “CNN disagrees with the NLRB decision and we are evaluating our options,” a CNN spokesperson told us Tuesday. As for Schonfeld, author of “Me and Ted Against the World,” he surmises:
It’s time for Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, Turner CEO John Martin, and CNN President Jeff Zucker, to find their way out of this mess, lest they face another buy-out threat from Rupert Murdoch or someone else while their stockholders are still reeling from CNN’s latest screw-up.