CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy fears he will be fire by boss Chris Licht over Trump criticism

Top CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy is reportedly worried he will be fired over his response to the Donald Trump town hall last week. 

The senior media reporter was allegedly ‘summoned’ to a meeting with CEO Chris Licht and other top executives where he was told his coverage of the controversial TV event had been ‘too emotional.’

According to Puck News, the meeting ‘put the fear of God’ into Darcy and he was left ‘visibly shaken’, as the network continues to grapple with the fallout from the town hall on May 10. 

It is the latest round of infighting at the network, which has been trying to shake up its image in a bid to boost ratings. 

Licht pledged that he would cleanse the network of its left-wing bias when he took over as boss last year, and said he ‘absolutely unequivocally’ believes ‘America was served very well’ by the event. 

Darcy was reportedly berated for his overly 'emotional' coverage of the Trump town hall on May 10

Chris Licht (left) reportedly called media reporter Oliver Darcy (right) into a meeting which left him ‘visibly shaken’

Trump's appearance at the CNN town hall has caused widespread controversy, with many journalists at the network reportedly disgusted at the event

Trump’s appearance at the CNN town hall has caused widespread controversy, with many journalists at the network reportedly disgusted at the event 

During the television event with the former president – which raked in a huge 3.3 million viewers for the network – Darcy live tweeted his reactions. 

He wrote: ‘I’ve lost count of how many times Trump has lied about the election. Collins keeps fact-checking him, but he keeps lying.’

Following the town hall, he took to his newsletter Reliable Sources to share his response: ‘It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening,’ he wrote. 

‘Trump lied about the 2020 election. He took no responsibility for the January 6 insurrection that those very lies incited. And he mocked E. Jean Carroll’s allegations of sexual assault, which a jury found him liable for on Tuesday.

‘And CNN aired it all. On and on it went. It felt like 2016 all over again. It was Trump’s unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage.’

He said Licht, who took over from Jeff Zucker last year as CEO, was now facing ‘a fury of criticism — both internally and externally’.

‘How Licht and other CNN executives address the criticism in the coming days and weeks will be crucial.

‘Will they defend what transpired at Saint Anselm College? Or will they express some regret?’ Darcy asked.

'A spectacle of lies' is how Darcy characterized the event in his Reliable Sources newsletter

‘A spectacle of lies’ is how Darcy characterized the event in his Reliable Sources newsletter

Moderator Kaitlan Collins was given 'an impossible task' according to her colleagues, who are now furious with bosses

Moderator Kaitlan Collins was given ‘an impossible task’ according to her colleagues, who are now furious with bosses

Collins tried to fact check Trump in real-time. The audience was mostly comprised of his own supporters

Collins tried to fact check Trump in real-time. The audience was mostly comprised of his own supporters

According to Puck News, Licht called in Darcy and his editor to a meeting at 9am on Thursday, where he admonished him for the newsletter and reminded him to remain ‘dispassionate’ with his coverage.

Darcy allegedly stood by his work and said that he was reflecting the internal sentiment at the network. 

However, according to Semafor, in the aftermath of the meeting and coverage, ‘Darcy has wondered to colleagues whether he should resign or if he will be fired.’

Licht also reportedly laid down the law with staffers during an editorial call on Thursday morning – the day after the town hall. 

The boss heaped praise on moderator Kaitlan Collins, and warned detractors: ‘You do not have to like the former president’s answers, but you can’t say that we didn’t get them.

‘While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story because the people in that audience represent a large swath of America.

‘The mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that those people exist just like you cannot ignore that President Trump exists.

‘I absolutely unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night.’

‘Covering Trump is tricky and messy and it will continue to be messy and tricky, but it’s our job,’ he said, according to former staffer Brian Stelter, who sensationally left the network last year when his show was canceled after nine years.

After Licht took over as CEO in May 2022, there has been lots of change at the network, including star Don Lemon being ousted in April after nearly 17 years at CNN. 

The Trump town hall, filmed with an audience of his supporters in New Hampshire, has also drawn criticism from journalists from other networks. 

CNBC’s Alex Sherman slammed Licht for giving Trump a platform.

‘CNN CEO Chris Licht said he wouldn’t allow anyone on his network that said it’s raining when it’s not,’ he said.

‘But he’s let someone on now who says it’s raining when it’s not, and he added hundreds of people to applaud when he does it.’

A CNN spokesperson told DailyMail.com Darcy does not intend to resign and his newsletter will be out per usual this evening.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk