CNN boss Mark Thompson reportedly plans to announce mass layoffs on Thursday – just days after warning top on-air talent including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper that they should avoid ‘pre-judging’ the president Donald Trump.
The cable news pioneer, facing a ratings challenge, will lay off hundreds of employees to refocus its business around a global digital audience, CNBC reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The job cuts come as CNN, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, seeks to revamp its linear television lineup and develop digital subscription products, CNBC said, adding that it would help CNN reduce its production costs and to consolidate its teams.
Some shows produced in New York or Washington could move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, the report said.
Comcast-owned NBC News is also planning job cuts later this week, according to the report. Although there is no exact number, the layoffs will be well below 50.
Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced earlier this month that it would lay off about 4% of its workforce, or fewer than 100 employees, in a bid to cut costs, as the famous newspaper is struggling with mounting losses.
In November, The Associated Press announced it would cut about 8% of its workforce to modernize its operations and products.
News of CNN’s elimination comes after Thompson reportedly warned staff “against any expression of outrage” at the inauguration.
Thompson, the former BBC and New York Times executive, convened a virtual editorial meeting Sunday attended by Tapper, Cooper and many other news figures to discuss CNN’s coverage of the inaugural ceremonies that took place took place the next day in Washington, DC, according to the Status newsletter.
During the meeting, Thompson “made it clear that he did not want media coverage to question the past,” according to Status reporter Oliver Darcy — an allusion to CNN’s historically hostile relationship with Trump.
Thompson asked his defendants to avoid writing articles and avoid media coverage focusing on Trump’s legal problems, including convictions for falsifying business records related to the alleged “hush money” payment. from Stormy Daniels, according to the report.
Instead, he urged CNN staff to focus on Trump’s second term and be “open-minded” about the next four years, according to Status.
A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
At the end of the call, Thompson allegedly opened the floor to allow staff members to ask questions, but no one spoke, according to the report.
“What Thompson and other senior officers had communicated was clear and none of the meeting participants apparently had any desire to question the directives,” Darcy wrote.
On Tuesday, Thompson convened another virtual editorial call to reiterate his message.
Thompson told CNN staff that they should remain “tough-minded” in reporting while being “fair,” according to Status.
During the call, CNN executive editor Virginia Moseley joked that CNN was “not used to” handling the incessant news cycle generated by Trump, a challenge that will quickly become intensify in the years to come.
Thompson’s strategy marks a shift in the network’s coverage of Trump under former CNN boss Jeff Zucker.
CNN has struggled to keep up with MSNBC and Fox News in the ratings race – which was reflected in the inauguration numbers.
Fox News, which shares common ownership with The Post, dominated television viewership during Trump’s inauguration, attracting 10.3 million viewers between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, outpacing all other networks.
Next came ABC (with 4.7 million viewers), NBC (4.4 million) and CBS (4.1 million).
With post wires
