CNN announced a restructuring Thursday that includes some 200 layoffs, an accelerated pivot to digital operations and new television roles for the likes of Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper and Audie Cornish.
This is the most daring redesign ever carried out in the 18 month mandate of CEO Mark Thompson, former general manager of the New York Times and the BBC, sought by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to revive the media’s flagging fortunes.
The layoffs are concentrated in CNN’s television business, where ratings have fallen as consumers cut the cable and seek other sources of information. They will eventually be offset by new hires in digital, where Warner Bros. Discovery is making a $70 million investment, CNN reported.
“This is not a cost-saving exercise,” Thompson said in an interview. “In fact, we are looking at increasing investment.”
Layoffs have occurred or are planned in the information industry. CNN’s ratings have taken a hit since the election of President Donald Trump, a longtime critic of the network. CNN averaged 1.7 million viewers for Trump’s inauguration this week, compared with 8 million for Joe Biden’s inauguration four years ago, although viewership can fluctuate depending on the person’s political stance invested.
CNN also took a financial hit — it’s unclear what’s happening — when a Florida jury was elected last week. found the network responsible for defaming a U.S. Navy veteran over a story involving a paid effort to extract Afghans from harm’s way after the Taliban took over their country. The network settled the case before the jury could fully decide damages.
CNN announced Thursday that it is developing a product that would allow consumers to watch a TV-like video stream on any device, although it won’t be a simulcast television broadcast. There was no estimated launch date.
Under Thompson, CNN has quietly redesigned and introduced new features to its CNN.com website. Late last year, the company instituted a $3.99 monthly subscription and a $29.99 annual subscription for its biggest users, and is working on new online products in areas such as lifestyle, weather and sport.
In some ways, Thompson is trying to do for CNN what he did at the Times, where his digital products have modernized the newspaper’s business. Executives hope CNN’s video component and international presence will provide growth opportunities that won’t duplicate the Times.
CNN’s transformation “is not and cannot be a single set of changes but a process of investment, experimentation and adaptation that will last for years,” Thompson said in a memo to CNN staff . “Our goal is simple: shift CNN’s focus to platforms and products where the audience itself evolves.”
CNN is seeking to make savings in the television business by reducing its staff and moving some of its technical operations to its Atlanta bureau.
The network announced a series of schedule changes: Veteran anchor Blitzer’s “Situation Room” will move from evening to 10 a.m. Eastern, where he will be joined by Pamela Brown; Tapper’s two-hour show will now begin at 5 p.m.; Cornish will host “CNN This Morning” starting at 6 a.m.; Kasie Hunt will host a new show, “The Arena,” at 4 p.m.; and Rahel Solomon will perform a show, “5 Things,” at 5 a.m.
Current late-morning host Jim Acosta, a frequent sparring partner of Trump’s during the president’s first term, is left out for now. He is negotiating a new role, CNN said, after apparently balking at a late-night assignment.
Besides cutting cords, the television network’s biggest challenge is reaching Trump supporters who view the network as enemy territory. In fact, many supporters took to online Thursday to express their joy over the layoffs.
“Not only is Trump stronger than he has ever been in his political career, he may have killed traditional media as we know it,” the radio host and OutKick founder wrote , Clay Travis, on X.
Thompson said he wants CNN to stand out for hard-hitting journalism and fact-checking to allow viewers to form their own opinions on issues. He noted that Abby Phillip’s prime-time show was one of the few cable news shows that allowed people with widely divergent opinions to debate issues.
“I think we must continue our work as journalists quietly and patiently,” he said.
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David Bauder writes for the AP about the intersection of media and entertainment. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder And https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
