Carlson, Lemon Out of Jobs
The cable news landscape had one of its most notable shake-ups of all time this past week. Early Monday morning, CNN parted ways with Don Lemon after over 17 years on the air. CNN CEO Chris Licht wrote to his staff that same morning: “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” he said. “We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
Lemon responded to his situation via Twitter: “After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”
On the other side of the news-media aisle, Fox News bid adieu to Tucker Carlson, who has been a staple of the network since the 2016 election. The network released a statement during it’s midday programming: “Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” they wrote. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
Carlson broke his silence Wednesday evening, but he has yet to directly respond to Fox. St. Lawrence University students have had an optimistic reaction to both changes, hoping that they will help foster a less divisive national media.
Chris O’Donnell ’24 looks forward to where these networks will go next: “I’m looking forward to hearing new voices on air, hopefully the national media will take a more wholistic approach when analyzing relevant topics, rather than speaking strictly to their audiences.”
Ben Roach ’25 sees this as an opportunity bridge the gap between the networks: “The media’s role is to inform the nation, not divide it. Hopefully, this will lead to more constructive journalism.”
These positions have yet to be filled by their respective networks. However, it seems that this will serve as an opportunity to create a healthier role for the media within the U.S.