December 1, 2022

To my CNN colleagues,

As promised in my observe yesterday, I’m following up with an outline of the adjustments we have now made throughout the corporate. Our objective all through the strategic overview course of has been to raised align our folks, processes and sources with our future priorities, strengthen our potential to ship on CNN’s core journalistic mission and allow us to innovate within the years forward. On the highest stage, the objective is to direct our sources to finest serve and develop audiences for our core information programming and merchandise.

To realize these objectives, we will probably be lowering open job positions, reimagining our workflows and aligning our staffing, investments and focus round three key strategic priorities: programming, newsgathering and digital. All choices are designed to strengthen the core of our enterprise.

Whereas it isn’t attainable to seize each impacted function in an e mail like this, I need to stroll by the broader adjustments we’re making:

HLN

Starting December 6, CNN will not produce dwell programming for HLN and as an alternative will simulcast CNN This Morning. HLN Crime programming will transfer beneath the WBD Networks led by Kathleen Finch and will probably be merged with ID. I need to take a second to thank Robin Meade— she shouldn’t be solely an exceptionally common anchor, but additionally one of many longest-running morning hosts in historical past. I do know the HLN viewers will miss her and the opposite HLN expertise.

CNN Worldwide

CNN Worldwide is reorganizing a few of its groups and bureaus, and efficient instantly, the 5:00-5:30pm ET present will probably be changed by a simulcast of CNN US for that half hour.

CNN en Español

CNNE’s linear community will search to broaden its viewers by diversifying the community’s programming past information. We are going to proceed to supply information for CNNE, and all through subsequent 12 months, we are going to look to develop a much more strong digital platform for CNNE with the goal of launching it in 2024. We imagine that funding will higher serve and considerably develop our Spanish-language information viewers, and we can have extra to share on that in 2023.

U.S. Newsgathering

We’re restructuring throughout a few of our beats, realigning sources to employees up in some items and in additional areas across the nation. This can assist us ship on our objective of protecting the USA extra broadly. Lots of the employees reductions in Newsgathering will probably be offset by the addition of recent roles to finest serve our viewers throughout platforms.

Contributors

We’re additionally shifting our method to paid contributors. In some areas, we are going to rely extra on our CNN journalists. General, we are going to interact contributors who’re subject-matter consultants that broaden and diversify the viewpoints we deliver our viewers.

Programming

Our programming groups will see some reductions in present staffs and, in some instances, the mixture of groups for our dayside and weekend lineups.

Artistic Advertising and marketing

The Artistic Advertising and marketing workforce will see an general discount in measurement, realigning round in-house manufacturing and consolidating artistic and technique roles in New York. Roles will probably be added to each assist that work and broaden our digital and development advertising and marketing efforts.

Analysis

Analysis is reorganizing to focus sources on CNN’s core companies and to optimize our lately built-in Digital Analytics and Information Science groups.

Operations

The Operations groups are restructuring to align with the adjustments to different items throughout the group.  

CNN Digital

CNN Digital performed an train earlier this fall to make sure they have been finest structured for the long run. They made adjustments then and, consequently, there are not any additional impacts on this course of.

The adjustments we’re making at this time are mandatory and can make us stronger and higher positioned to put large bets going ahead with out worry of failure.

To our departing colleagues, I need to categorical my gratitude to your devoted and tireless service and to your many contributions to CNN. To all staff, I need to underscore the significance of taking the time you must finest be capable to transfer ahead. You’ll find sources to assist you now right here. I will probably be holding a city corridor on Tuesday to reply your questions, which might be submitted anonymously right here.

I’m pleased with this CNN workforce, and collectively we are going to guarantee CNN continues to be the world’s most important supply of reports and knowledge.

Chris