To the casual observer, Jeff Zucker’s shocking resignation from CNN might appear to land at the intersection of scandalous media workplace relationships and cancel culture. It’s more likely that it’s about a clash of media titans and the Chris Cuomo firing. In Puck News (Unlocked Article with Email), Dylan Byers shares outtakes of a heated meeting that took place last night between WarnerMedia C.E.O. Jason Kilar and some of the most well-known talent at CNN. From Jake Tapper: “An outside observer might say, ‘Wow, it looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded. He threatened, Jeff said we don’t negotiate with terrorists, and he blew the place up.’ How do we get past that perception, that this is the bad guy winning?” (It’s was a pretty amazing exchange and the reporting by Dylan Byers is indicative of some of the really interesting work being done by Puck News on a variety of media topics. You should give it a try.)

While the ouster’s inner workings provide a glimpse behind the scenes at CNN, I’m more concerned with what’s happened on the screen over the past several years, which can collectively be referred to as the Panel Era, when reporting was often replaced by discussion, and breadth was often reduced to a single story. How did CNN get here and what does it mean for the broader news ecosystem (and democracy)? Check out my quick take: CNN, News Panels, and the Auto-Fellatioization of Cable News.

+ The always on the mark Margaret Sullivan in WaPo (Gift Article): “When the dust settles, Zucker’s relationship with Donald Trump will define his legacy. Zucker, as much as any other person in the world, created and burnished the Trump persona — first as a reality-TV star who morphed into a worldwide celebrity, then as a candidate for president who was given large amounts of free publicity. The through line? Nothing nobler than TV ratings, which always were Zucker’s guiding light, his be-all and end-all and, ultimately, his fatal flaw.”