CNN cuts 100 jobs, introduces paywall to website

CNN is cutting about 100 jobs and plans to launch its first digital subscription service by the end of the year as the news channel refocuses its business. In a memo sent to employees on Wednesday, CNN CEO Mark Thompson suggested the news organization would cut only 100 jobs out of its total workforce of about 3,500. He said the company would eliminate vacancies where possible  to minimize the number of overall layoffs. Media companies, including CNN, have struggled to grow viewership and revenue and have sought to diversify their offerings to customers.

Thompson said CNN's digital strategy "must be ambitious enough  to maintain our unique journalistic influence and achieve the viewership and revenue we need to thrive as a company." The executive said CNN will develop subscription-based products that deliver news, analysis and context in new formats. He stressed that efforts will be made to find ways to keep users on the CNN.com website longer and  return more frequently.  CNN's digital products have focused primarily  on text articles, but Thompson said there will be a shift toward more video content. "Going forward, our digital products must better reflect CNN's tremendous strength in video and the talent of our anchors/reporters," Thompson said.

The company will also  develop more "user-friendly messaging" for its viewers, such as lifestyle and feature content. Thompson said these products will provide the company with a range of monetization opportunities, including sponsorships, new advertising and direct-to-consumer subscriptions.  Thompson said CNN will also invest more heavily in artificial intelligence and  look at how to safely use the technology to serve its audience.  Thompson, a former CEO of the BBC and The New York Times, was appointed head of CNN in August 2023 and took up the post in October. He replaced Chris Licht, who was fired in June of the same year. Thompson is credited with helping lead the Times' transition to a digital-centric organization that relies more  on paying subscribers than on a collapsing advertising market that has driven many newspapers into bankruptcy. In January, Thompson outlined a strategy to  staff that called for a "radical modernization" of the CNN.com website.