CNN has announced its willingness to lay off 200 employees, about six percent of its workforce, as part of a major overhaul aimed at adapting to the changing media environment.
The job cuts are part of a broader restructuring effort that focuses on expanding the network's digital presence.
While the layoffs mark a difficult transition for the media company, CNN CEO Mark Thompson assured employees in a memo that overall staffing could remain stable and that new positions are expected to be created in line with the digital change of the company. “Some of today's announcements mean significant new job opportunities at CNN, but others will lead to the loss of some valued colleagues,” Thompson wrote.
Thompson also clarified that despite eliminating 200 positions, the total number of employees is not expected to decrease dramatically, ensuring that a planned $70 million investment in CNN's digital future will fund new positions in the digital sector.
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As part of the changes, CNN will prioritize digital content and new technological advances, hoping to remain competitive in an era of declining cable viewership and growing digital consumption.
The restructuring follows a trend seen across the media industry, with major outlets such as the Associated Press and CNN itself making similar workforce reductions in response to economic pressures and changes in media consumption.
In addition to the job cuts, CNN has also revealed plans to launch a new paid streaming product, although details remain scarce. This measure comes after the closure of CNN+ in 2022, after its brief operation amid the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery.
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