The resignation of ABC News president Kim Godwin has caught many mainstream media insiders off guard.
Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to comment on Godwin’s resignation shortly after The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.
“Happy to report that Kim Godwin, Head of ABC, has resigned,” Trump wrote. “Could it be the unfair reporting on EVERYTHING TRUMP? In any event, GOOD RIDDANCE!” (emphasis original).
“Hopefully somebody else will be able to control George Slopadopolous and the rest of the Fake News Thugs over at ABC? Best wishes Kim!” he added.
Despite the former president’s speculation, it is evident that Godwin had a contentious reputation at ABC. CNN noted that Godwin, described as “embattled,” faced criticism for her divisive leadership style, which reportedly resulted in a significant decline in employee morale, as indicated by sources who chose to remain anonymous.
Over 24 employees and “others close to the network,” preferring to remain anonymous as they were not permitted to communicate with CNN, revealed that Godwin’s leadership had a detrimental impact on morale within the organization she supervised.
CNN also highlighted that the timing of her departure, if not the departure itself, was somewhat unexpected. The news of her “abrupt” resignation, conveyed in a memo to staff on Sunday evening, was described as having a significant impact on the newsroom, causing a stir among employees.
CNN recently disclosed that Debra O’Connell, who was appointed by Disney to oversee both Godwin and the news division in February, was “conducting a review of her performance and had voiced dissatisfaction in private conversations with the state of affairs” at ABC News.
“Godwin, staffers told CNN, made several profound errors, including employing a hands-off approach to managing, not developing a strategic vision for the newsroom, eliminating the heads of the talent-relations division and appointing an inner-circle that alienated staffers, among a stream of other complaints,” the outlet reported.
Furthermore, Axios stated that it had received information from additional undisclosed sources that “the main sentiment felt by staff was that Godwin was more focused on promoting herself as a leader rather than invest time with ABC News’ staff and show teams.”
Godwin’s resignation seemed to take immediate effect, with O’Connell stepping in to oversee the newsroom “for the time being,” according to The Associated Press.
Godwin asserted that she made the independent choice to not only leave ABC News but also to exit the entire industry.
“I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism,” the 60-year-old Godwin said in an email to the ABC News staff, according to CNN.
“I have been fortunate and blessed enough to have done almost every job there is in this business,” she added. “But after considerable reflection, I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family.”
