Hey, good morning. Today we're leading with big news about our own news outlet. Plus: An exclusive about HuffPost and much more...
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'Next phase of change' at CNN |
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images |
CNN is announcing several major changes this morning – job cuts, restructurings, new products, and digital investments.
"Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations," CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in an internal memo.
New York Times reporter Ben Mullin just published a story about the plans and an interview with Thompson. Here are the takeaways:
Significant layoffs: "Around 6% of the current CNN workforce will be impacted" by the cuts today, Thompson wrote in his memo. That's roughly 200 people. Some of the cuts are meant to reduce production costs at CNN's TV networks as the company prioritizes digital growth.
"For the most part, the job cuts won't affect CNN's most recognizable names, who are under contract," CNBC's Alex Sherman reported. But it's the names you don't know – producers and technicians and editors – who really power news networks. CNN staffers have been expecting layoffs for months, so today is going to be an emotional day.
New roles: Like other media companies, CNN is cutting in some areas and adding in others. "We don't expect total headcount to fall much this year, if at all," Thompson wrote. "That's because of the $70 million we're investing in our digital plans and the many new jobs it will pay for." Some job listings will be posted right away, I hear, with more than 100 roles to be filled this year.
New ways to stream: Thompson teased development of "a new way for audiences at home and abroad to access a TV-style version of CNN on any device they choose." CNBC recently announced something similar – a streaming service called CNBC+.
Subscription products: Later today CNN's EVP for digital products and services Alex MacCallum will preview plans for a lifestyle-oriented product that will launch later this year. She'll also announce a "further major pivot to digital video," part of what CNN is billing as a transformation of CNN.com and the CNN app.
A revised TV schedule: As Oliver Darcy first reported for Status last week, a shakeup is coming to CNN's linear TV schedule. I haven't seen the new schedule yet, but two sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that CNN legend Wolf Blitzer has renewed his contract ahead of an expected move to mornings.
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Ten years ago I thought about the media industry's linear cuts and digital additions as an ongoing "reshaping" in response to changing consumer habits. What's happening now, all across the industry, is much more intense. It's a revolution. News leaders – looking at cord-cutting declines, traffic trends and other dire data points - believe it's an adapt-or-die moment.
As Chris Cillizza, who departed CNN during the last big round of layoffs in late 2022, recently wrote, "the simple fact is that the slow decline of mainstream media is no longer slow. It is rapidly accelerating as the existing business model, which was already problematic, is further eroded by the rise of news influencers on alternative media platforms."
To that point, Status noted last night that NBC News is "planning to carry out some cuts" later this week, and ABC News is anticipating "long-rumored layoffs" too, at the same time CNN is making these changes. |
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YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST... |
HuffPost's membership launch |
Liam Reilly writes: This morning, HuffPost is announcing its first membership program as the outlet looks to capitalize on its 60 million monthly global readers. HuffPost says "Gold, Silver, and Platinum memberships include access to ad-free experiences online and on the HuffPost app, as well as early access to new features, a special readership focus group, and a HuffPost tote bag."
The move comes weeks after the BuzzFeed-owned site laid off dozens of staffers, citing "growing challenges to our business," and editor-in-chief Danielle Belton resigned. "Now that Donald Trump has regained the most powerful seat in the world, America is facing the greatest challenge to our democratic experiment since the Civil War," the outlet writes on its new membership page. "Now is not the time to cower or capitulate, and HuffPost is doing neither." Details here...
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This year's Oscar nominations, which were delayed by the L.A. wildfire disaster, are set to be announced at 8:30 a.m. ET. If you're reading this before then, here's the live stream. Later, check out CNN Entertainment's coverage here. Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott were chosen to unveil this year's nominees...
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In his interview with Sean Hannity, POTUS criticized Joe Biden's pardons; said it's "funny" or maybe "sad" that Biden "didn't give himself a pardon;" repeated his vow to release FBI records about the JFK assassination; and said the federal government should not "give California anything" unless it changes its water policy. CNN's Michael Williams has the key lines here...
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Oath Keepers want revenge |
Liam Reilly writes: Less than 24 hours after being released from prison by Trump, both Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers' founder and former leader, and Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, sat down with Alex Jones on Infowars.
The extremist organizers chillingly called for Trump to seek retribution against those who put them behind bars. “I want to see them investigated,” Rhodes said. “They need to be put behind bars, and they need to be prosecuted,” Tarrio added. Their choice of Infowars as an outlet spoke volumes...
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What a week it's been for archconservative activist Brent Bozell, founder of the watchdog group Media Research Center. Over the weekend, he celebrated Trump's inauguration. On Monday, he expressed relief when Trump pardoned his son Leo Brent Bozell, a January 6 rioter who was serving time in prison for helping to break into the Capitol. And yesterday, he was appointed by Trump to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
The agency oversees Voice of America (which Trump wants Kari Lake to run), Radio Free Europe, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, etc — "public service media networks that provide unbiased news and information in countries where the press is restricted." The Bozell appointment indicates that Trump is more attuned to battles over media bias much closer to home. "There is lots of work to be done," Bozell tweeted last night. Bozell will require Senate confirmation...
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FCC chair reinstates pro-Trump petitions |
Last week, we broke the news that outgoing FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel was rejecting all the pending complaints before the FCC about TV station content to "take a stand on behalf of the First Amendment." Three of the four complaints were lodged by a pro-Trump group and advanced his complaints about ABC, NBC and CBS. The fourth petition was about Fox News. Yesterday, Rosenworcel's successor as chair, Trump ally Brendan Carr, reinstated the three Trump-aligned complaints. "The complaint against Fox over 2020 election coverage will not be brought back," Newsmax noted.
>> Preston Padden, who led the FCC petition against Fox, told me "it seems very odd to reinstate the [other] complaints based on minor political disagreements, and failed to reinstate the one petition based on solid judicial findings of three different courts."
>> Overnight, Trump said MSNBC "is even worse than CNN. They shouldn’t have a right to broadcast — Only in America!"
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Political media notes and quotes |
>> Axios' Zachary Basu writes: "Trump has at times downplayed his thirst for revenge. But his first moves back in office show that resentment of Democrats, former allies, prosecutors and the media will be a driving force in his second term..." (Axios)
>> Forbes senior editor Dan Alexander says, "I've covered Trump's finances for 8 years and wrote a book about conflicts of interest during his first term. I've never seen anything quite like the profiteering that occurred over the last few days." Here's his new piece... (Forbes)
>> Lawmakers are pushing the owners of pay TV streaming bundles like Fubo and YouTube TV to carry C-SPAN. (The Desk)
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Trump rebuffs concerns over China and TikTok |
Last night, Trump once again waved off widespread concerns about TikTok's data collection and Chinese influence by asking Sean Hannity, "Is it that important for China to be spying on young people? On young kids watching crazy videos?"
It is important, but Trump's reframing of the issue is intriguing. Less than two years ago he wrote on Truth Social that "when I wanted to disable TikTok" due to "China influence" back in 2020, "I was met with opposition from RINOs to Democrats to everyone else." But "now they realize I was right, and have changed their tune," he wrote. "Sadly, l've been right about everything!"
His current pro-TikTok position, however, means that they were "right" and he was wrong back then. I filed this analysis for CNN.com about how he's rhetorically approaching this TikTok negotiation with China...
>> Further reading:"Trump's TikTok order "shows his willingness to skirt federal laws and keep app in limbo, legal experts say," by CNN's Devan Cole... And it "tests Republicans," by Semafor's Kadia Goba and Morgan Chalfant...
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>> YouTube is adding "new experimental features for Premium users, including high-quality audio, a faster playback speed option on mobile," and the "Jump Ahead" feature on the web... (TechCrunch)
>> Google has "won an injunction from London's High Court to prevent the enforcement of Russian judgments against the U.S. tech giant over the closure of various Google and YouTube accounts..." (Reuters)
>> I truly don't know what to make of this headline: "Zuckerberg 'Loves' AI Slop Image From Spam Account That Posts Amputated Children." (404 Media)
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Prince Harry's vindication |
Yesterday's settlement deal by Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers was a moment of vindication for Prince Harry – and as he said, through his lawyer, it was also "vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them."
According to The Washington Post's stellar reporting here, Prince Harry texted his brother Prince William in 2019 about pursuing the lawsuit, writing "obviously my aim is to expose all their lies and manipulation to the public, to get a public apology for all of us and to get some justice."
That's what Prince Harry has achieved. While the settlement allows "Murdoch’s British outfit to avoid a public trial," NPR's David Folkenflik wrote from London, "it does give critics a chance to push for prosecutions and probes."
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>> Griff Witte is one of the latest journalists to defect from The Post, with The Atlantic announcing Witte will join as managing editor. (The Atlantic)
>> And there's another: "Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Greg Jaffe is leaving The Washington Post to join The New York Times." (X)
>> Speaking of Jaffe, his new piece about Pete Hegseth, based on a close read of Hegseth's latest book, is a must-read. He says the "most fruitful way" to understand Hegseth "is as a product of two lost wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." (Post)
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This year's duPont winners |
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>> The Boston Globe's parent company is acquiring Boston Magazine, Aidan Ryan reports. (Boston Globe)
>> Four books debuted on the NYT nonfiction best seller list this week: "The JFK Conspiracy" at #3, "Brooks Shields Is Not Allowed To Get Old" at #5, "All The President's Money" at #6, and the Pope Francis memoir "Hope" at #7. (NYT)
>> Nielsen "has received accreditation for its Big Data + Panel national TV measurement from the Media Rating Council, certifying its ability to combine first-party viewership data with its panel," Kerry Flynn reports. (Axios)
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>> The 41st annual Sundance Film Festival opens today in Park City! (CBS)
>> Sean "Diddy" Combs sued a man who claimed to have incriminating sex tapes, which Diddy denies exist, as well as NewsNation which aired the allegations. (AP)
>> "Duck Dynasty" is returning to A&E eight years after it was canceled. (Deadline)
>> HBO has renewed "The White Lotus" for season four ahead of the show's third season premiere next month. (Variety)
>> Timothée Chalamet appears to have enlisted four doppelgangers in the latest "SNL" promo for this weekend's show. (YouTube)
>> "Disney is throwing the full weight of its portfolio of platforms behind Sterling K. Brown and 'This Is Us' creator Dan Fogelman's new Hulu series 'Paradise' by giving the political thriller a linear launch on ABC and FX, as well." (Variety)
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