Amanpour – Former CNN President Tom Johnson (September 26, 2025)

Podcast: Amanpour (CNN Podcasts)
Host: Christiane Amanpour
Main Guests: Tom Johnson (former CNN President), Adam Svjanovic (artist), Farah de Boiville (historian), Walter Isaacson (contributor)
Main Theme:
The episode explores the challenges and responsibilities of journalism and free speech in times of political turbulence, featuring reflections from former CNN President Tom Johnson. Other segments honor immigrant experiences through art and examine the nuanced history and fragility of free expression.

Main Interview: Tom Johnson, Former CNN President

Introduction & Early Life

• Amanpour opens by setting the episode’s stakes: a week marked by heated debates over free speech and mounting pressure on journalists in the wake of late-night show controversies and threats from political leaders (00:38).
• Tom Johnson shares his humble beginnings in journalism, highlighting personal struggles and the formative influence of early mentors:
  • “At age 14, I needed a job... Along the way, I fell in love with journalism. I was then, and I am now, a real news junkie.” (03:30)

Becoming President of CNN

• Christiane Amanpour recalls Johnson’s unusual introduction to CNN and Ted Turner:
  • Johnson humorously describes being offered the job while suffering from food poisoning during an interview dinner with Ted Turner and Jane Fonda. Ted’s parting words:
    • “You’ve still got the job if you want it.” (04:32)
• Amanpour reflects on CNN’s rise during Johnson’s tenure, especially during the Gulf War, crediting innovations in live reporting and technology that positioned CNN as a global leader. Johnson details the historic decisions:
  • “If [Turner] really meant it [to be the best in the world], we needed to lease all the transponders, put portable uplinks in position everywhere... Ted said, ‘You spend whatever you think it takes, pal.’” (06:21)
  • The four-wire technology allowed CNN to report live from Baghdad despite infrastructure attacks:
    • “CNN was still up live with audio and was the only network from Baghdad at that time.” (06:21)

Standing Up to Power & Defining Moments in Journalism

• Johnson discusses the pushback from U.S. leaders during the Gulf War and CNN’s commitment to journalists’ safety and independence:
  • “Ted said, ‘Our policy will be: those who want to stay can stay. Those who would like to come out can come out.’” (08:33)
• Reflections on Vietnam, the limitations of official narratives, and the centrality of independent press:
  • “The press got it right and we were not winning the war. In fact, after the gigantic Tet moment... I really regret that there wasn’t an opportunity to bring about peace earlier.” (11:20)
• On current wars and press restrictions, e.g., in Gaza:
  • “It is reprehensible that the global media... aren’t on the scene there... There’s so grave a need... to be able to report independently and accurately.” (14:02)

The Challenge of Free Speech in Democratic Societies

• Amanpour plays a clip of her own famously tough question to President Clinton during Johnson’s CNN tenure, asking about policy on Bosnia (16:14).
• Johnson affirms journalistic duty:
  • “We must continue to ask the tough questions of the leaders that are in power. We must also fight back... to prevent the type of attacks on media that we are receiving today...” (16:33)
  • “The role of the press is to be the watchdog, not the attack dog, not the lapdog, but to be the watchdog of government.” (17:34)

On Mental Health and Resilience

• Johnson openly discusses his lifelong struggle with depression, emphasizing hope and the importance of support:
  • “If there is one message that I try to deliver in my book, it is depression is a treatable illness... It was such a dark, dark period of my life. I did seriously contemplate suicide...” (18:45)
  • Credits support from his wife and a dedicated psychiatrist as transformative.

Closing Praise

• Amanpour closes with gratitude, and Johnson reciprocates:
  • “There was no correspondent who was more important to the network... than Christiane Amanpour.” (20:53)

Segment: Art and Immigration – Adam Svjanovic’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral Mural

Celebrating Immigrants in Art

• Amanpour visits St. Patrick's Cathedral to discuss artist Adam Svjanovic’s monumental mural celebrating New York’s immigrant history.
• Svjanovic describes the honor and responsibility:
  • “As an artist, you always dream of having a stage... this is a big stage. So then it felt like... a tremendous responsibility.” (23:03–23:27)
• The mural’s design weaves the story of the landmark’s Irish roots, subsequent waves of immigrants, and the diversity of New York:
  • “I tried to have it so there’s people from everywhere on the planet because that really is New York... the New York City school system has 160 languages in it.” (27:25)
• On the mural’s title, “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding?”:
  • “As I was painting this, I would sort of check my newsfeed and see what you were talking about... It’s awful out there... Why not? What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? Maybe everyone should just chill, take a breath.” (30:39)

The Universal Immigrant Experience

• Svjanovic shares his own immigrant story and his mother’s empathy:
  • “She was like, ‘I don’t want to [join the DAR]... These people are just like me. You know, we’re all immigrants here. If you’re not Native American, and it’s just like there’s no difference.’” (35:13)

Segment: The History and Crisis of Free Speech – Farah de Boiville with Walter Isaacson

Contemporary Threats

• Farah de Boiville, Princeton historian and author of “What is Free Speech?,” discusses government-press tensions amplified by the pulling of Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
  • “It’s terrible. It’s an abuse of governmental power... It shows up the power of the private media to shape public discourse... a terrible precedent for independent voices.” (38:04)

Historical Complexity

• Free speech is revealed as a centuries-old, inherently contradictory concept, born of repeated struggles:
  • “The bad news is... it is an essentially incoherent, weaponized concept... But the good news is... People have been puzzling over this for 300 years and come up with a whole lot of really interesting additional ideas...” (40:07)
• On the evolution from religious to political free speech:
  • “The modern idea... is really about political speech. It’s the idea that every individual has the right to speak out on matters of public concern... a development that doesn’t take off until the early 18th century.” (42:26)

The Public Good vs. Individual Liberty

• De Boiville urges a nuanced view:
  • “Laws should be as minimal as possible when it comes to speech... The only thing I would say is that we do need to acknowledge that speech can cause harm... from history that this can cause genocide...” (45:12)
  • On social media: “They are constantly amplifying certain messages, suppressing others. They are censors on a vast scale. The minimal thing that we need... is transparency...” (46:50)

The Present Crisis

• Drawing parallels to past “red scares,” De Boiville sees the current moment as a direct threat to democratic foundations:
  • “This is really the third red scare and it’s attempts to not just shut down particular voices, but shut down opposition to a would-be autocrat... We should be aware of that.” (49:52)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tom Johnson:

  • “Depression is a treatable illness... I did seriously contemplate suicide... It was not easy, but [my wife] stuck with me.” (18:45)
  • “[CNN] must continue to ask the tough questions of the leaders that are in power.” (16:33)

• Christiane Amanpour:

  • “Our policy will be those who want to stay can stay. Those who would like to come out can come out.” – quoting Ted Turner’s principled stance during the Gulf War (08:33)

• Adam Svjanovic:

  • “This is a painting about showing the dignity of all people... As long as you understand the basic humanity of somebody who is the other, the whole dialogue winds up in a much better place.” (31:35)
  • “We’re all immigrants here. If you’re not Native American, there’s no difference.” (35:13)

• Farah de Boiville:

  • “Freedom of speech is always a hot topic when people are living through new kinds of communication circumstances. The media revolution of the 18th century is the revolution of print. That’s where it begins.” (42:26)
  • “We need to have independent news media that stand up to power, not just bow down to it.” (38:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Tom Johnson Interview (Main): 03:03–21:21

• Gulf War and CNN’s Defining Moments: 05:49–10:09

• Vietnam War Reflection: 11:20–14:02

• Modern Press Access and Gaza: 14:02–14:54

• Free Speech and Media Crackdown: 14:54–18:09

• Mental Health and Resilience: 18:45–20:27

• Adam Svjanovic/Immigration Mural: 23:03–36:57

• Farah de Boiville/Walter Isaacson/Free Speech History: 37:44–51:58

Summary

This episode of Amanpour serves as a reflection on the past and a warning for the present. Tom Johnson’s journey models the critical stance and courage required of journalists to uphold democracy. Adam Svjanovic’s mural offers a counterpoint: a testament to the enduring value and dignity of all immigrants—past and present—illuminating the importance of empathy in a polarized time. Farah de Boiville’s historical sweep underscores that the free speech debates that dominate headlines today are neither new nor easily resolved but demand vigilant protection and thoughtful consideration by each generation.