Ex-CNN Anchor Soledad O’Brien Calls Out Network for Lack of Diversity Among Executives

Former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien took to Twitter Monday to call out her old employer, attacking the media organization over what she said was a lack of diversity in its executive ranks.

“CNN needs more people of color working in the executive, decision-making ranks. Obviously,” she tweeted in response to an article that included a subhead asking “how black” the new child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be.

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The piece by CNN reporter John Blake was actually attempting to condemn those asking about the race of the new royal, warning that it played into harmful stereotypes.

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Still, O’Brien wasn’t alone in calling attention to the subhead question. Former network contributor Roland Martin also reacted negatively.

“Hey Jeff Zucker, Amy Entelis, Ken Jautz and the @CNN leadership team,” Martin said, calling out CNN leaders by name. “THIS is why [The National Association of Black Journalists] has called y’all out on no Black executives. This is one of the dumbest headlines this year. WTF?!”

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“The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is concerned about the lack of black representation within the ranks of CNN’s executive news managers and direct reports to CNN President Jeff Zucker,” they said.

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