CNN senior reporter Dylan Byers apologized (sort of) on Tuesday night after launching one of the more memorably tone-deaf takes on the current epidemic of sexual harassment allegations against big media figures.
“Beyond the pain/humiliation women have endured (which is of course the paramount issue), it’s worth taking stock of the incredible drain of talent from media/entertainment taking place right now,” he wrote.
“Never has so much talent left the industry all at once.”
Byers, who joined CNN in 2015 after covering media for Politico, quickly recanted his social media outburst.
“I’ve deleted my previous tweet,” he wrote Tuesday night. “It was poorly worded and didn’t properly convey my intended observation.”
I've deleted my previous tweet. It was poorly worded and didn't properly convey my intended observation.
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) November 22, 2017
The walk-back was swift — coming after just about two hours — but not swift enough to prevent a fusillade of criticism from fellow Internet blue checks and the peanut gallery who accused him of focusing his attention on accusers instead of victims.
https://twitter.com/Olivianuzzi/status/933220803449036800
RIP Dylan’s terrible tweet. May the screenshots last forever.
— Sara Lang Gifford (@SaraLang) November 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/E_Hellerstein/status/933164633405509632
Beyond the pain/humiliation Dylan Byers has endured (which is of course the paramount issue), it's worth taking stock of the incredible deletion of tweets taking place right now. Never has so much ratioing left the internet all at once. pic.twitter.com/PnRR0ZFa7W
— Emmy Bengtson (@EmmyA2) November 22, 2017
it’s nuts how many talented, unemployed journalists i know while dylan byers will always have a six figure job
— katherine krueger (@kath_krueger) November 22, 2017
Dylan do you need a woman to explain to you why this was a bad tweet
— Helen Rosner (@hels) November 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/andizeisler/status/933140976582852609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fonline%2Fcnn-reporter-slammed-for-tweet-noting-incredible-drain-of-talent-due-to-harassment-scandals%2F
No, the idea that these guys were indispensable is what protected them for so long. Journalism will be just fine without them. Think of the talent that never broke in or left because of harassment. https://t.co/RyJTSbfFXI
— Emily Rauhala (@emilyrauhala) November 22, 2017
What Dylan Byers meant to say is that it sucks that sexual predators are finally getting punished for their actions because he really enjoys binge-watching House of Cards and Charlie Rose reruns.
— leannuh47 (@leannuh) November 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/933139544588812288
The week leading up to Thanksgiving has been unusually chock-full with disastrous news for powerful men in media, politics and entertainment and saw the New York Times’ Glenn Thrush suspended, CBS’s Charlie Rose fired, and Disney’s John Lasseter forced into a leave of absence.