Layoffs hit CNN, 6% of workers cut

Long-term layoffs Officially hit CNN On Thursday, roughly 6% of the network’s workforce was laid off.

CNN told employees that the strike was a critical step in securing the network’s future, saying it would “irreversibly change the way audiences in the United States and around the world consume news” impacting its business model. As a result, about 200 jobs were eliminated.

“Our goal is simple: to shift CNN’s gravitas to platforms and products that engage viewers themselves, and in doing so ensure CNN’s future as one of the world’s largest news organizations,” said CNN CEO Mark Thompson in an internal memo. Fox News Digital.

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“America and the world need high-quality, fair-minded, credible news sources more than ever,” Thompson continued. “This difficult and sometimes painful process of change is the only way to ensure that we can still deliver.”

Talents in the air are not expected to be affected by the cut.

CNN reports that a $70 million investment from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery will eventually lead to new job opportunities. Thompson said Thursday’s cuts are “first and foremost an investment in the future,” adding that the overall headcount won’t be significantly reduced by the time the 2025 plans are completed.

“That’s because we’re investing $70 million in our digital plan and paying for more new jobs. Some of that money is in product and technology, but a lot is going into new, high-quality journalism and storytelling. That’s what we stand for,” Thompson wrote.

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“It is also the heart of every successful digital news strategy. At the same time, regardless of the total number of job losses, I know that the impact on the individuals involved can be significant,” he said. “The process of change is necessary if we are to prosper in the future, but I believe the true consequences of humanity are regrettable.”

Thompson called the cuts “an unwanted but inevitable part of the process of change.”

“We want to reach out to every colleague who will be affected by these changes as soon as possible – and of course we will help and support them,” Thompson said.

CNN has struggled in the ratings department for years and finished 2024 The smallest audience in the history of the network Among both total daily viewers and the advertiser’s target demographic of adults aged 25-54.

Fox News Digital previously reported in November that CNN would face major layoffs in March and that the impact on the network would be “very significant.”

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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wolfson contributed to this report.