CNN has announced a major restructuring that will see the company cut around 100 jobs.

In an internal memo sent to staff on Wednesday July 10, CEO Mark Thompson said the layoffs represent a small fraction of the company’s 3,500-strong workforce.

He said that the company had closed open roles wherever possible instead of targeting already occupied roles in order to minimize the total layoffs.

“Wherever possible, we’ve closed open positions rather than target currently occupied roles. However, some of our colleagues will learn today that their jobs are being eliminated or are at risk.” 

“The number of colleagues potentially impacted is around a hundred out of a workforce of more than 3,500,” wrote Thompson.

CNN CEO Unveils the Company’s Restructuring Plan

Additionally in the memo, he outlined the company’s plans to transform its business model and adapt to the changing media landscape.

Thompson said that CNN like many other news outlets has over the years struggled to grow its audiences and diversify its revenue streams.

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“Their consumption of news has changed beyond recognition so we need to adapt and transform our services to meet them where they are today and will be tomorrow.”

As a result, the American media company noted that the overhaul was part of the company’s efforts to consolidate its operations and shift its focus towards digital content and revenue streams.

Thompson stressed that the company’s digital strategy must be “ambitious enough to deliver the audiences and the revenue we need to maintain our unique journalistic firepower and succeed as a business.”

Features of the CNN Restructuring Plan

A key element of the restructuring is the launch of a dedicated subscription service on CNN.com before the end of 2024.

He emphasized that the subscription service launch was an effort to keep users on CNN.com’s website longer and find ways to get them to return more often.

“We want to build on CNN.com’s reach with a new focus on engagement and frequency how long our users spend with us and how often they return by improving the quality of the product experience and giving users powerful reasons to come back to us more often,” said the CEO in his memo.

The company also plans to introduce additional lifestyle and specialized content offerings, so as to cater to the evolving preferences of its audience.

Enhancing Video and AI-Driven Content

Similarly, the overhaul will see the establishment of a “TV Future Lab” division to generate content for streaming platforms and repackage TV content for digital platforms.

While CNN’s digital products have primarily focused on text articles, the CEO noted that there would be a shift so as to provide more video-oriented content.

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“In the future, our digital products need to do a far better job of reflecting CNN’s massive strength in video and anchoring/reporting talent,” Thompson said.

Additionally, CNN will be exploring the use of artificial intelligence to better serve its audiences and provide more “news you can use” content.

The overhaul is aimed at transitioning CNN into a digital-first organization that is less dependent on advertising revenue, ensuring the network’s long-term success and maintaining its “unique journalistic firepower” in the evolving media industry.

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