Black CNN Staffers Outraged After Laura Coates Loses Show To Less Experienced Anchors: Source
April 20 2023, Published 6:15 p.m. ET
A source revealed that Black staffers at CNN were outraged at the network's treatment of Laura Coates after the network passed on giving her a full-time gig while they gave more air time to white anchors with less experience, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Coates is also an attorney and joined CNN as a legal analyst in 2016. After being celebrated by viewers for her political takes, Coates was temporarily given the 11 PM slot in January.
While scandals and shakeups have plagued the network, a game of musical chairs has been played as CNN attempts to rearrange its anchor lineup — and not without criticism from staff.
Laura Coates
After Don Lemon was demoted from his primetime slot to co-anchoring alongside up-and-coming stars Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow on CNN This Morning, viewers questioned who would take his place on the nightly news program.
Coates was allegedly informed in recent weeks that due to a lack of staff available to cover her show, Alisyn Camerota would have her 10 PM slot extended to midnight.
It was announced this week that Collins would be given the opportunity to test primetime waters with a solo show at 9 PM, a spot once held by disgraced anchor Chris Cuomo.
Kaitlan Collins
The series of recent announcements allegedly did not sit well with staff, according to an insider close to the network.
"The concern is that it’s all white people who don’t have experience anchoring," the source told Insider. "While surrounding them with [contributors who are] African American and people of color is a sleight of hand."
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Kaitlan Collins
The source continued on Collins' run for Cuomo's old slot.
"To have someone made [primetime] 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," the source added.
Collins served as the network's White House correspondent during the Trump Administration — and had only recently sat behind the anchor desk when she joined the This Morning team.
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While outraged, the source shared that Black staffers at CNN have chosen to not raise any further issues on the matter to higher-ups, mostly due to the alleged agenda of the network's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The source noted that as conservative viewers turn off left-leaning networks for the likes of Fox News and NewsNation, CNN appears apprehensive about promoting diversity," suggesting the recent decisions were "maybe at the expense of people of color."
