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CNN to lay off hundreds of workers amid cost-cutting measures due to dropping ratings

By arseniotoledo // 2025-01-23

• CNN is laying off hundreds of employees, primarily off-camera staff, as part of a strategy to cut costs and shift focus toward digital content.
• The layoffs, announced under CEO Mark Thompson, follow previous cost-cutting measures, including shutting down the opinion section and parting ways with high-profile hosts.
• CNN is investing over $70 million in digital transformation, focusing on subscription-based services and niche content like health and wellness.
• The network has introduced a $3.99 monthly paywall for online content and plans to hire talent in emerging fields like data science and product development.
• The layoffs reflect a broader industry trend as traditional media struggles with declining TV viewership and competition from digital platforms.

In a sweeping move to address declining viewership and financial struggles, CNN is set to lay off hundreds of employees as part of a broader strategy to pivot toward digital content and reduce production costs. The layoffs, expected to be announced as early as Thursday, Jan. 23, will primarily affect off-camera staff, including production teams in New York City and Washington, D.C., with some operations relocating to CNN’s Atlanta headquarters. The decision comes as the cable news giant, under CEO Mark Thompson, seeks to reinvent itself in an era where traditional television viewership is dwindling and digital platforms are increasingly dominant. The layoffs mark the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures implemented by Thompson since he took the helm in the summer of 2023. Under his leadership, CNN has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs, shuttered its opinion section and parted ways with several high-profile hosts and correspondents. The network’s struggles have been exacerbated by a record-low prime-time ratings performance during the 2024 presidential election cycle and a recent multimillion-dollar financial penalty from a defamation lawsuit. (Related: "Your credilibty with me is about none:" CNN trial goes from bad to worse.)

CNN attempting reorientation to digital sphere

The layoffs are part of a broader effort to reorient CNN’s business model around digital content and subscription-based services. During a town hall meeting earlier this month, Thompson announced that Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, had committed more than $70 million to fund the network’s digital transformation. This investment is expected to support the development of new digital products, including subscription-based offerings and content focused on health, wellness and other niche topics. “We will develop new digital products with a special focus on digital experiences worth paying for,” Thompson told staffers in a memo in July. In October, CNN launched its first digital paywall, charging frequent users $3.99 per month for access to its online content. The network is also exploring opportunities to hire talent in emerging areas such as data science and product development, signaling a shift away from traditional television production. The layoffs are expected to target production staff, with some shows currently produced in New York and Washington relocating to Atlanta, where operational costs are lower. While most on-air talent will be spared due to existing contracts, the cuts are likely to further streamline CNN’s operations and reduce overhead. The move reflects a broader trend in the media industry, where traditional news organizations are grappling with declining linear TV audiences and the rise of streaming services and social media platforms. NBC News, another major player in the industry, is also reportedly planning layoffs this week, though the scale of its cuts is expected to be smaller. The Washington Post recently announced a round of layoffs. Watch this clip from the "Trish Regan Show" as she discusses the ongoing shakeups at CNN. This video is from the Sanivan channel on Brighteon.com.

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