Four books about the life of Ted Turner and his path to CNN

In addition to writing about broadcasting, I’m also an avid reader of books about the industry. I have a sort of mini-library of many of these books, some of which are out of print and hard to find.

These titles include largely nonfiction works, but there have also been some fiction books published too (such as Arthur Hailey’s “The Evening News,” which is written in Hailey’s trademark heavily researched and detailed style).

Ted Turner, ‘maverick’ founder of CNN and TBS, dead at 87

With the death of CNN founder Ted Turner May 6, 2026, here’s a look at four titles about CNN and Ted Turner (Turner also penned an autobiography). All four of the CNN titles below include at least some biographical information about Turner’s life prior to founding CNN. 

Here’s a look at four nonfiction titles that combine a look at Turner’s life and how CNN was created. 

Unfortunately, many of these titles are out of print or hard to find. It also appears that inventory may be decreasing in the wake of Turner’s death, so availability may be limited. If you can’t find the titles on Amazon, you can also try sites such as ThriftBooks and eBay.

‘CNN: The Inside Story‘

This was actually the first book I read about CNN’s founding and it’s a very comprehensive insider’s look at how the network was launched as well as serving as an overview of the early landscape of cable television in general. There’s a particularly entertaining part that documents CNN’s first broadcast. It also coves the early days of the network and the launch of CNN2, which became CNN Headline News (shop here).

‘Me and Ted Against the World‘

Written by the late Reese Schonfeld, the man who helped Turner create CNN and also served as its first president, this book is told from that unique perspective (shop here). 

‘Five Seconds to Air‘

This book is written by the late Bob Losure, who anchored for CNN Headline News. The book is focused on providing a largely first-person glimpse behind the scenes from Losure’s perspective. Losure paints himself as a bit of a maverick anchor and there’s a particularly entertainment passage documenting his “day in the life” (shop here).

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‘Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News‘

While most of the books above are older, this book was published in 2020, which brings a more contemporary perspective to the CNN story (shop here).

Bonus: ‘The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon‘

While it’s not about CNN, but this title provides a look at how a cable network built upon CNN’s momentum to launch another channel that many didn’t think was a good idea. It’s written by a former Weather Channel executive (shop here).

Also: ‘This Was CNN: How Sex, Lies, and Spies Undid the World’s Worst News Network‘

I haven’t personally read this title, though it’s on my reading list. This book offers the perspective of a former CNN intern who became disillusioned with the network and eventually linked up with James O’Keefe of the far-right Project Veritas. 

While the other titles above are all told by former CNN staffers, many of whom have a vested interest in portraying CNN in a positive light, this title pushes things in the opposite direction. Although not released directly by Project Veritas, it is important to keep in mind that the organization is known for releasing deceptive videos and other content. 

This title was released in 2023 so it is told with even more recent context about cable news (shop here).