CNN Cuts Ties With Its Top PR Executives

By A.J. Katz 

It appears that Chris Licht isn’t the only high-level CNN staffer who is leaving the network. According to CNN’s senior media reporter, the network’s top two PR executives are also out: CNN public relations chief and lead spokesperson Kris Coratti, and strategic/crisis communications lead Matt Dornic, who’s a longtime member of the network’s PR department.

Corrati led CNN’s brand strategy and teams, including media relations and publicity, creative marketing, events and brand initiatives—as well as employee and external communications. She was also involved with the greenlighting of the infamous Chris Licht profile in The Atlantic, a 15,000-word opus which published on Friday. The article ended up painting a very unflattering picture of Licht and his leadership at CNN, and was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back in the eyes of Warner Bros. Discovery leadership.

Corrati joined CNN 11 months ago after a number of years serving as The Washington Post’s communications chief and general manager of Washington Post Live. She took the reins from Allison Gollust, who had been CNN’s chief marketing officer and communications lead before leaving company in light of WarnerMedia’s investigation into the handling of the Chris Cuomo firing.

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Dornic, who many years ago was a contributor to FishbowlDC (a now-defunct TVNewser sibling blog), joined CNN’s public relations group in late 2011 working with the digital teams: CNN.com, CNN Mobile and Apps. He rose through the ranks, eventually overseeing all PR strategy for CNN Digital and becoming CNN’s head of strategic communications, overseeing strategy for the CNN brand, talent and editorial coverage across TV, desktop, mobile, social and more than 30 OTT platforms.

CNN’s senior media reporter Oliver Darcy added that Zaslav started seriously considering cutting ties with Licht over the weekend, after the profile “had crystalized existing concerns about his leadership.” The final decision was made earlier this week, and was informed Wednesday morning.

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