CNN and other legacy media outlets continue struggling as President Donald Trump begins his second and last term in office. CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson is expected to announce significant layoffs on Thursday, just days after he advised prominent on-air personalities like Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper to refrain from “pre-judging” President Trump.
The cable news network, struggling with ratings, is set to cut hundreds of jobs as part of a strategic shift toward prioritizing a global digital audience, according to CNBC sources. These layoffs come as CNN, now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, looks to revamp its linear TV lineup and expand its digital subscription offerings.
This move is intended to reduce production costs and streamline operations. The report also suggests that some shows currently produced in New York or Washington could be relocated to Atlanta, where production costs are lower. NBC News, which is owned by Comcast, is reportedly planning job cuts later this week. Although the exact number of layoffs is not specified, it is expected to be fewer than 50 positions, the New York Post added.
The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced earlier this month that it would lay off approximately 4% of its workforce, totaling less than 100 employees, in an effort to reduce costs as the renowned newspaper deals with increasing financial losses. In November, the Associated Press also reported plans to cut around 8% of its workforce as part of its strategy to modernize operations and products.
News of CNN’s culling comes after Thompson reportedly cautioned staffers “against expressing any outrage of their own” during the inauguration. Thompson, a former executive at the BBC and the New York Times, held a virtual editorial meeting on Sunday. The meeting included Tapper, Cooper, and many other senior news personalities to discuss CNN’s coverage of the inaugural ceremonies scheduled for the following day in Washington, DC, as reported by the Status newsletter.
During the meeting, Thompson “made it clear that he did not want the coverage to relitigate the past,” according to Status reporter Oliver Darcy — an allusion to CNN’s historically hostile relationship with Trump.
