Don Lemon Archives

CBS News president faces controversy and criticism in first year at the helm

October 17, 2024

Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News, is facing significant challenges in her first year, grappling with multiple crises in the newsroom. Recent key issues include backlash over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and controversies surrounding anchor Tony Dokoupil’s questioning of journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel.

McMahon’s leadership has been overshadowed by interventions from her higher-ups. Shari Redstone, a media executive at Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, has taken an active role in editorial discussions, emphasizing the need for balanced coverage of Middle East issues.

In response to internal and external concerns, CBS News is considering an editorial review aimed at improving fairness in reporting. This effort includes investigating employee reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim views, racism and sexism in the newsroom.

McMahon’s leadership comes at a pivotal time as Paramount merges with Skydance Media. She is scheduled to meet with Jeff Shell, the incoming president of Paramount Global. An outsider to network news with a background in local television, McMahon became CBS News president in August 2023.

She is implementing changes within the news division, including a leadership reshuffle and an emphasis on long-form journalism. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has weighed in on the ethics concerns surrounding CBS, criticizing how the network handled the Ta-Nehisi Coates book interview.

“I believe in messy conversations, even if it veers off, as long as people are respectful,” Lemon said on the “Don Lemon Show.” “Why are the inmates running the asylum? Why are you responding? Of course you should respond to people, ‘We hear you, we want you to express your opinion, we are standing by our journalist.’ Even if you have issues with him, you address those issues with him, not in public.”

Following the public dustup, Redstone called Dokoupil to praise him for a job well done and had dinner with him earlier this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, CBS has not publicly addressed the “60 Minutes” Harris interview controversy, despite polling showing overwhelming support for the network to release the transcript.

Don Lemon sues Elon Musk over dropped content partnership on X

August 2, 2024

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon is suing Elon Musk and X over a contentious content partnership deal that was canceled before it ever began. Lemon accuses X of “deliberately misrepresenting” the deal to exploit his name and status to improve X’s reputation under Musk.

Lemon was set to host a show on X as part of this deal. However, just days before the debut of the first episode, Elon Musk withdrew from the agreement. Musk told Lemon he could still air his show on X and receive advertising revenue, but any form of collaboration with X was terminated.

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The dispute then escalated, with the two exchanging insults on X. Lemon accused Musk of being “anti-free speech,” while Musk criticized Lemon’s content as essentially just “CNN but on social media.”

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Both Musk and Lemon’s attorneys said there was never a signed contract for the proposal. However, Lemon’s attorneys argue that “contracts don’t necessarily have to be signed to be legally binding.”

In the in the lawsuit, filed on Aug. 1, Lemon alleges a breach of contract and claims he has not received the compensation he is owed. Lemon said he was guaranteed $1.5 million in the first year of the partnership, which never materialized. He also stated he invested “hundreds of thousands of dollars into creating” content before the deal was abruptly canceled.

As of Friday, Aug. 2, Musk and representatives for X have not commented on the litigation.

Report: X looks to expand journalistic footprint, in talks with Catherine Herridge

March 29, 2024

Following her controversial firing at the hands of CBS News, Catherine Herridge may soon have a new job. The former CBS News senior investigative correspondent is reportedly in talks to join the social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter. X responded to the potential talks in a statement on Thursday, March 28.

“We are in discussions with many content creators who are interested in joining X in various way,” X told the New York Post. “Catherine Herridge is a great journalist who strongly supports free speech.”

However, the company did not have any further comment on the talks.

Herridge is an award-winning journalist, who gained a lot of attention while covering the “Hunter Biden laptop” controversy.

According to the New York Post, “Herridge was among the first to receive tips about the Hunter Biden investigation.” However, the Post said she allegedly ran into “internal roadblocks at CBS News.”

In February, Herridge was among hundreds of CBS staffers laid off, as part of cost cutting measures. However, there were reports she had conflicts with the CBS News president before she was let go. Afterwards, reports swirled that CBS News had seized her files in the wake of the firing, which CBS has denied.

Herridge also is involved in an ongoing First Amendment case over her refusal to unmask sources to a judge. She’s currently facing fines of $800 per day for refusing to disclose sources from a 2017 story she filed while with Fox News, regarding a Chinese American scientist who is suing the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The scientist claims the FBI improperly leaked information about her to Herridge.

Herridge’s potential hire comes as X has been trying to build its journalistic footprint. The platform recently signed a contract with Tucker Carlson after his departure from Fox News, and former CNN host Don Lemon said in March that X canceled a contract with him after a contentious interview with owner Elon Musk.

‘The Don Lemon Show’ premieres amid feud with Musk over dropped X contract

March 18, 2024

The feud between former CNN anchor Don Lemon and Elon Musk continued through the weekend before the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” dropped on Monday, March 18. Following Lemon’s interview with Musk, Musk promptly canceled an X partnership with the show.

In contract negotiations, the New York Post reported that Lemon had several asks, including:

A free Tesla Cybertruck.
$5 million up front in addition to an $8 million salary.
An equity stake in X.
The right to approve any changes in X policy as it relates to news content.

However, a spokesperson for Lemon contends that none of those requests are true.

The exchange over the spoiled partnership took place on Musk’s platform.

While Musk and X argue the canceled deal was just business, Lemon said the move goes against free speech on the platform.

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In the interview, the Lemon and Musk discuss controversial issues ranging from from hate speech and Musk’s voting plans to his use of ketamine.

While there’s no business contract, “The Don Lemon Show” is still posted on X and other platforms.

Both X and Lemon’s spokesperson said there was no signed contract between the two sides. However, a spokesperson for Lemon told CNN that “contracts don’t necessarily have to be signed to be legally binding” and Lemon expects to be compensated, even if they have to go to court.

X cancels partnership with Don Lemon after Elon Musk interview

March 14, 2024

Former CNN host Don Lemon is starting a new show on Monday, March 18. In his first episode, Lemon interviewed Elon Musk as the show was poised to have business partnership with Musk’s platform X. However, Musk texted Lemon “contract is canceled” just hours after the interview, according to Lemon.

Lemon sat down with his old network CNN to discuss what happened.

“It was interesting because at the end, I could tell he was upset, uncomfortable, it was tense,” Lemon said in CNN’s interview. “[Musk] and I don’t agree on much but I will fight for your right to be able to say what you want to say. That’s what freedom of speech means to me. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean the same thing to him as it does to me.”

In a statement, X said the partnership cancellation is not an issue of free speech, and the platform is not restricting the show or banning it.

“X is a platform that champions free speech,” an X Business post read in part. “The Don Lemon show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship…However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships.”

https://twitter.com/XBusiness/status/1767956757882581042

In addition to the CNN interview, Lemon also posted on social media about how tense the interview with Musk was and alluded to maybe something said during the exchange that triggered Musk to pull the plug on the partnership.

“Hi everyone, Elon Musk is mad at me,” Lemon said. “Apparently free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it applies to questions about him from people like me. What did we talk about? Why is he so upset? Does he even have a reason to be upset?”

Lemon released some clips from the interview with Musk. In them, Lemon doesn’t shy away from bringing up controversial issues ranging from hate speech and Musk’s voting plans to Musk’s use of ketamine.

Sources who spoke with CNN said Lemon technically had not inked a contract with X, but they claim contracts don’t necessarily have to be signed to be legally binding.

A spokesperson for Lemon told CNN that he has a deal with X and expects to be paid for it. The spokesperson said if they have to go to court over it, they will.