CNN’s Massive Layoffs: End of an Era in Cable News?

CNN is reportedly preparing for massive layoffs across its organization, with “hundreds of employees” expected to be let go, according to reports. This restructuring follows an election night that saw CNN’s ratings drop behind competitors MSNBC and Fox News, despite heavy coverage and attempts to influence voter perceptions.

The anticipated layoffs are part of a broader effort by CEO Mark Thompson, who joined CNN last year, to pivot the organization towards a “digital-first landscape,” a shift that may come at the cost of its traditional television team. In a report by Puck News, Thompson is expected to scale back resources in departments that will have less relevance in CNN’s future digital focus. According to Curtis Houck, managing editor at MRC Newsbusters, CNN’s financial struggles come amid the larger financial challenges facing parent company WarnerMedia. “The days of liberal journalists being paid millions to schmooze with the ruling class should be coming to an end,” Houck commented to The Federalist.

High-profile anchors at CNN, including Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, and Kaitlan Collins, could see significant changes to their compensation structures, with rumors of potential pay cuts on the horizon. Former CNN anchor Chris Wallace, who joined the network in recent years, has reportedly left to pursue opportunities in podcasting, a popular medium leveraged by political figures like former President Donald Trump to bypass traditional news channels.

CNN’s struggle with declining viewership has become evident as recent data indicates a sharp drop, with a year-over-year decline of 40% for CNN on a Thursday night, and a 54% decline for MSNBC in the same period. Only Fox News has managed to capture a consistent audience, with a reported 75% of all cable news viewers tuning into their network on election night, according to Mediaite.

CNN’s audience loss is being attributed to the network’s editorial approach in recent years, which has been criticized for emphasizing ideologically driven narratives. “It’s hard not to see this election as a national repudiation of what we do,” said Brian Stelter, quoting an anonymous radio reporter who reflected on CNN’s struggle to engage viewers on issues like election denialism and the January 6 Capitol riot. An anonymous media executive speculated, “A Trump victory means mainstream media is dead in its current form,” emphasizing how disconnected CNN has become from half the American public who support Trump.

One of CNN’s most notorious storylines, the Russia collusion narrative, was widely debunked yet continued to receive substantial coverage from the network. As The Federalist’s Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway noted, CNN anchor Jake Tapper remains unapologetic for his involvement in amplifying the discredited story. Left-leaning networks also faced criticism for likening Trump’s rallies to pro-Nazi events and drawing far-reaching comparisons between Trump and historical fascists, notably with an article from The Atlantic that speculated on Trump’s admiration for authoritarian generals.

Reflecting on the network’s potential future, Houck stated that if CNN weren’t hiring conservative voices like Scott Jennings and David Urban, they might face even deeper cuts. For Thompson and CNN’s leadership, restructuring will be a challenging task, as they attempt to balance the evolving needs of digital media with retaining credibility among traditional viewers.

This massive shakeup is a high-stakes moment for CNN, as it races to adapt in a rapidly evolving media landscape while contending with declining ratings and waning trust among many viewers.