Long-planned layoffs hit CNN on Thursday, cutting roughly 6% of the network’s workforce. Around 200 jobs were eliminated.
CNN described the layoffs as essential for the network’s future. “Irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news” were cited as key reasons.
“Our objective is a simple one,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in an internal memo. “To shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting. By doing that, we secure CNN’s future as one of the world’s greatest news organizations.”
“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 reportedly unaffected by the cuts.
CNN also revealed plans for a new streaming service. The platform aims to offer a TV-style CNN experience on any device.
A $70 million investment from Warner Bros. Discovery is part of the plan. Thompson emphasized this money will lead to new jobs. “Thursday’s cuts are first and foremost about investing in that future,” he wrote.
“Some of that money’s going into product and tech,” Thompson explained. “But a lot is also going into new high-quality journalism and storytelling. It’s what we stand for.”
“At the same time,” he added, “I know the impact on the individuals involved can be immense. 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 layoffs “an unwelcome but inevitable part of the change process.”
“We will aim to contact every colleague impacted as soon as we possibly can,” he said. “We will help and support them in any way we can thereafter.”
CNN has struggled with ratings for years. In 2024, it recorded its smallest audience in network history, including the key 25-54 age demographic coveted by advertisers.