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Big changes coming to CNN? [1]
['Tom Jones', 'Tom Jones Is Poynter S Senior Media Writer For Poynter.Org. He Was Previously Part Of The Tampa Bay Times Family During Three Stints Over Some']
Date: 2024-02-16 12:30:03+00:00
The week started ominously.
On Tuesday, Washington Post media reporter Jeremy Barr tweeted, “CNN C.E.O. Mark Thompson foreshadowed some big shifts coming at CNN at an all-bureau meeting in London today. Thompson: ‘Immense change is coming, and I don’t use that lightly.’”
On Thursday, we started to learn more about what those immense changes could look like. The Wrap’s Emily Smith reported that Thompson wants to “fund his digital-first transformation by cutting anchor salaries.”
Thompson has a grand plan to reform CNN, turning focus toward the digital product.
In a memo to staff last month, Thompson called it a “true multimedia strategy.” He added, “So far CNN has been slow to respond to the challenge. Perhaps that’s not surprising: the CNN of today is no longer that buccaneering outsider but a tenured incumbent. You still see our strength when big stories break. We still sport brilliant on-air, digital and producing talent and have one of the world’s most visited news websites. But, despite all these strengths, there’s currently too little innovation and risk-taking. Like so many other news players with a broadcast heritage, CNN’s linear services and even its website can sometimes have an old-fashioned and unadventurous feel as if the world has changed and they haven’t.”
So how does Thompson go about that transformation?
Rich Greenfield, a partner and media and tech analyst at LightShed Partners, told The Wrap, “The first thing they need to do is dramatically reduce costs. If you work at CNN your compensation is going to go down dramatically over the next … five years, there’s just no other way around it.”
In The Wrap, Smith noted that some of CNN’s top salaries are Anderson Cooper (estimated $20 million), Wolf Blitzer ($15 million), Jake Tapper ($8.5 million) and Chris Wallace ($8 million). Although it also should be noted that the contracts of Cooper and Tapper don’t expire for, possibly, another year or two.
Thompson wrote in his memo last month that he “passionately believe(s) that outstanding and high-profile talent will continue to be a central thread in the CNN story,” but also wrote, “change is essential if we’re to secure this great news company’s future.”
Check out Smith’s story for more details, including how CNN’s possible strategy of using few anchors, and how MSNBC might be interested in picking up talent should CNN lay off a big name or two.
Layoffs at The Intercept
More grim journalism layoff news. The Intercept, a nonprofit investigative news outlet, is laying off 15, including Editor-in-Chief Roger Hodge.
New York Times media reporter Benjamin Mullin obtained the internal memo that said, in part, “Like many news outlets, The Intercept is facing significant financial challenges. To become sustainable, we need to make some changes.”
The memo added, “This is a difficult and emotional day for all of us. We are losing colleagues who reported, edited and produced vital journalism and have done incredible work to bring important stories to life. We are grateful for all their contributions.”
Now more media news, tidbits and links for your weekend review …
More resources for journalists
Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at
[email protected].
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