Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., give their take on federal DEI offices shutting down under the Trump administration on ‘The Bottom Line.’
Long-planned layoffs officially hit CNN on Thursday when roughly 6% of the network’s workforce was let go.
CNN has painted the layoffs as a critical step toward securing the network’s future, telling staffers that « irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news » have impacted its business model. About 200 jobs were eliminated as a result.
« Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN’s future as one of the world’s greatest news organizations, » CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in an internal memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
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CNN terminated about 200 employees on Thursday. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
« America and the world need high quality, fair-minded, trustworthy sources of news more than ever, » Thompson continued. « This difficult and sometimes painful process of change is the only way to make sure we can still provide it. »
On-air talent is not expected to be impacted by the cuts.
CNN also announced that it has « begun development on a new way for audiences at home and abroad to access a TV-style version of CNN on any device they choose » via a new streaming service.
CNN pointed to a $70 million investment from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery that will eventually result in new job opportunities. Thompson said Thursday’s cuts are « first and foremost about investing in that future, » and suggested overall headcount won’t drop too much in 2025 when plans are finalized.
« That’s because of the $70 million we’re investing in our digital plans and the many new jobs it will pay for. Some of that money’s going in product and tech, but a lot is also going into new high-quality journalism and storytelling. It’s what we stand for, » he wrote.
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Long-planned layoffs officially hit CNN on Thursday when roughly 6% of the network’s workforce was let go. (Getty / Getty Images)
« It’s also the heart of every successful digital news strategy. At the same time, I know that whatever the total number of job losses, the impact on the individuals involved can be immense, » he continued. « The process of change is essential if we’re to thrive in the future, but I both acknowledge and regret its very real human consequences. »
Thompson called the cuts « an unwelcome but inevitable part of the change process. »
« We will aim to contact every colleague who will be impacted by these changes as soon as we possibly can – and will of course help and support them in any way we can thereafter, » he wrote.
CNN has struggled in the ratings department for years and finished 2024 with its smallest audience in network history among both total day viewers and among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as CNN moderator Anderson Cooper looks on during a Presidential Town Hall event at Sun Center Studios in Aston, Pennsylvania, on October 23, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously reported in November that CNN would face major layoffs by March and that its impact on the network would be « very meaningful. »
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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
