New CNN president says he's logging off Twitter

Jeff Licht, who previously launched MSNBC's "Morning Joe," will replace ousted network head Jeff Zucker.
CNN logo
By Sophie Mann

Incoming CNN President Chris Licht vowed Monday to permanently logging off Twitter when he takes charge next month of the cable news network.

"May 2 will be my first official day in the office at CNN & my last day on Twitter," he tweeted. "Twitter can be a great journalistic tool, but it can also skew what's really important in the world. I'm logging off & looking forward to working with the incredible team at CNN."

Licht is coming aboard CNN as the replacement for former President Jeff Zucker who was ousted earlier this year following an ethics scandal pertaining to his relationship with top CNN executive Allison Gollust.

Earlier this month, the New York Times announced a changing guidance for its reporters Twitter use.

The outlet told its journalists that use of social media was entirely optional and sometimes over-relied upon by reporters attempting to do their jobs. Furthermore, it pledged to do better by its journalists who have been subjected to cruelty and threats on the short-form social media site. 

Licht did not make mention of any such guideline shift being applied to CNN and its staff. Several of CNN's top anchors and journalists are active Twitter users who engage with both fans and critics of the network.