EXCLUSIVE: One-on-One With Mark Thompson — The Man Hired to Save CNN

EXCLUSIVE: One-on-One With Mark Thompson — The Man Hired to Save CNN

Colby Hall Oct 8th, 2025, 9:26 am

Since taking the helm of CNN two years ago, Sir Mark Thompson —both a British Knight American citizen—has been something of an enigma to both media observers and even many inside the network itself.

To outsiders, he arrived at a moment when the cable news landscape felt less like a stable institution than a listing ship in stormy seas. Among CNN staffers and talent, he is respected but quietly observed, with a hint of anthropological curiosity, as they examine a new leader who conducts himself very differently from his predecessors when it comes to the spotlight.

In preparation for this interview, I asked around to gauge how people within CNN feel about their CEO. The consensus