Former CNN boss Chris Licht and ex-anchor Don Lemon had a near miss at Mediaite’s 15th anniversary party at Bryant Park Grill. It’s worth noting that Licht infamously let Lemon go last year before eventually being ousted himself during a shake-up at the news network. While Licht did run into other CNN staffers at the event and spoke to a few of them, some of the on-air talent reportedly avoided him.
Despite this, the overall atmosphere at the party was one of cross-network comity, with Mediaite founder Dan Abrams and editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin presiding over the media love-in. Joe Scarborough from MSNBC and Steve Doocy from Fox News even greeted each other in a temporary truce between the two networks.
During the event, Abrams hosted and welcomed Lemon, and there were sightings of Megyn Kelly schmoozing with former colleagues. The guest list for the party included many media power players such as Kaitlan Collins, Julie Banderas, Bill O’Reilly, Geraldo Rivera, Sunny Hostin, Jim Acosta, Ben Sherwood, Pat Kiernan, Ari Melber, Abby Phillip, Andrew Ross Sorkin, John Berman, and Elie Honig.
One particular interaction that caught attention was when Joe Scarborough grabbed Licht and pulled him over to the step-and-repeat for a photo as soon as he saw him. Doocy also engaged in conversation and took pictures with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. This friendly exchange between anchors from different networks showcased the camaraderie among media professionals at the event.
Overall, Mediaite’s 15th anniversary party was a gathering of influential figures from various media outlets. It provided an opportunity for industry insiders to mingle and reconnect with former colleagues. The event demonstrated that despite the competitive nature of the media landscape, there are moments when professionals from different networks can come together in a spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect.
