ALBAWABA- CNN is set to lay off around 200 employees as part of a restructuring plan announced Thursday to position the news organization for a more digitally focused future.
According to the Associated Press, CEO Mark Thompson, who took over more than a year ago, outlined the move as a response to declining television ratings and shifting audience preferences.
“Our objective is simple: to shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting,” Thompson wrote in a memo to staff.
The job cuts in the television sector are expected to be balanced by new hires for CNN’s digital expansion, which will include subscription-based services allowing users to stream news programming on various devices.
Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, is investing $70 million to support these initiatives.
Thompson emphasized the company’s long-term vision of creating a robust digital ecosystem while acknowledging the challenges of adapting to audience trends.
Additionally, changes to CNN’s television programming are in the works. Longtime anchor Wolf Blitzer is expected to transition to a new role on a morning show as part of the lineup overhaul.
