Axios’ Post

There is an old joke that I heard more than once from CNN longtimers about how CNN has repeatedly started something and killed it, only to try the same thing again a week later. I saw this play out in my time. When CNN+ was closed, we had a uniquely talented group, the people you would want to build community products. But we all moved on, by choice or otherwise. In the same month or two when the layoffs were sent down, I heard there were meetings talking about how to do - you guessed it - community. 🙂 And the world keeps spinning. But CNN's problem isn't ideas or people with them, it's commitment. CNN has to shut out the critics and actually commit (for years). Based on leaked numbers, CNN+ was successful out of the gate. One of the key differences between CNN Max and CNN+ is that with the latter, CNN owned a direct relationship with customers. They knew who more of them were, and they were taking credit card numbers and generating direct revenue without intermediaries. It's only a matter of time before they get back to that.

In the latest Deadline, read about CNN’s push to revamp its prime-time lineup and who the network is betting on, NBC’s new collaboration with unexpected partners for the third Republican Primary debate, the tech giants under scrutiny for failing to stop false content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and more. #Media #MediaMoves #MediaRelations #Newsletter

The news Friday that WAMU 88.5 is shutting down the beloved local news site DCist is the worst thing to happen to Washington, D.C.'s local news scene since the Washington Examiner shuttered its local coverage in 2012. Talented journalists have left (voluntarily) as of late, most recently its top editor and former Governing colleague Natalie Delgadillo. That's certainly a big warning sign that something is amiss, but I was still surprised to see the news. Because D.C. is the home of the federal government, local news can easily get drowned out and deprioritized by the media outlets there. There was a good five years where I stopped reading The Washington Post because its local and suburban news coverage (aside from crime) was paltry and most of the newsroom energy seemed to be devoted to the Trump administration. Thankfully, its D.C. coverage has gotten better over the last few years (even with buyouts) and I've also turned to The Baltimore Sun for more Maryland-centric news. But fewer reporters with eyes on city hall--in any city--is bad for accountability. In fact, there's even research to prove that it costs cities when local news outlets close. The Post article here notes that the DCist closing comes amid (yet another) slew of local newsroom layoffs across the country. I don't know what the answer is. But I do know that the problem is costing us. https://lnkd.in/e8BJkkyE

"crapification of local news" is the quote of the day. A sad day for thousands of Bell employees and another major nail in the coffin for local news. As Bell blamed regulators and policymakers for its decision for the layoffs, politicians accused Bell of unnecessarily killing off local journalism. With $40 million in annual operating losses, they are cutting 4,800 jobs. BCE has an operating revenue totalling $6.7 billion, up from $6.44 billion a year earlier. Local news is critical and that's just a small part of the bloodbath which includes - Cancelling most local noon and weekend newscasts on CTV - Cancelling The Debate, This Hour and Top 3 Tonight  - BNN Bloomberg weekday daytime programming is "being streamlined" - W5 some say is dead/ will shift to a multi-platform investigative reporting unit - divesting 45 radio stations Bell Media's advertising revenues declined by $140 million in 2023 so we all need to understand their situation but it's not like they did not see digital and consumer shifts changing. What to do? Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/g4rucjBP

#ZACHMultimediaFromUAEIdeatingForTheWorld Mark Thompson Is The One Who Had #TheAudacityOfConviction To Fully Implement All Key Recommendations Of #ZACHMultimedia's Disruptive Eponymous Strategy Presented To His Predecessor At The New York Times. The Turnaround Is Storeyed. Earlier, It Was A Dribs And Drabs By A Confused CEO Torn Asunder By The Internal Politics Of A Highly Dog-Eat-Dog Atmosphere With High Churn. The Key Tenets And Strategies Can Be Fine Tweaked For CNN Too. How About Mark? 😀 "Expected hiring comes as news network looks to reverse multiyear ratings slump Warner Bros. Discovery is in advanced talks to name #MarkThompson, a former top executive of the New York Times and the BBC, as CNN’s new leader, according to people familiar with the matter. "Thompson’s expected hiring as CNN’s chief executive officer comes as the network is trying to reverse a multiyear ratings slump and bring stability to its ranks after a tumultuous year and a half that saw its two previous bosses depart abruptly. "As CEO of the Times between 2012 and 2020, Thompson oversaw a transformation of the publication, building a formidable online-subscription business, and expanding into other digital offerings such as podcasts. "For Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive #DavidZaslav, the choice of Thompson would be a striking contrast to his last pick as CEO, #ChrisLicht, a TV producer who had never managed a major news operation. Licht left abruptly in June after a little more than a year in the job. "Thompson’s appointment would give CNN a new leader ahead of the 2024 presidential election cycle, a major ratings driver for all cable news channels. Semafor earlier reported that Thompson was a top contender for the job. "Zaslav zeroed in on Thompson early in the recruitment process, people familiar with his thinking said. The two had crossed paths years earlier when Thompson was running the BBC and had a joint venture with Zaslav’s Discovery. "Other candidates for the top CNN job included James Harding, also a former senior BBC executive, people familiar with the matter said.  "Among the challenges Thompson would face include bringing stable leadership to CNN’s newsroom and giving it a fresh editorial vision after a Licht tenure that some network insiders described as underwhelming. "Licht attempted to position CNN as a nonpartisan news outlet by bringing more Republicans on air. He also made a few significant programming changes, including adding #KaitlanCollins to the prime-time lineup and overhauling the morning. But CNN was far behind its main rivals, #FoxNews and MSNBC, in the ratings when he left. "Thompson would also be tasked with striking the balance between CNN’s traditional TV business—which is under pressure from the decline of cable, but still very profitable—and its desire to put digital growth at the center of its business plans. "Earlier this month, Warner Discovery unveiled plans to launch a CNN service on its Max..."... ... 

"Trump, of course, has been welcomed back on X and other social networks. And as Navaroli writes, tech companies across the board have slashed their trust and safety teams. “Going into the 2024 election season, that has left social media—and, by extension, American democracy—more fragile than it has ever been in the digital era,” she observes. “We face adversaries hell-bent on destroying the integrity of our elections, forces”—Russia, China, and Iran, among others—“that have used the past two presidential cycles to hone their manipulation strategies.” Many researchers find that it’s now more difficult to map foreign disinformation campaigns than it has been for years. As Nora Benavidez—a senior counsel at Free Press, a media-focused research group—told Golding, “Ultimately, what we see is that democracy is a much lower priority for these companies than making sure they keep costs in line.”' --The Election Issue - Columbia Journalism Review https://lnkd.in/gktJ4iMQ

BCE Inc. plans to divest 45 of its 103 regional radio stations while reducing its workforce by 4,800 positions, roughly nine percent of the total workforce, affecting journalists and other employees at its Bell Media subsidiary. Understand your rights and your employer’s obligations following a layoff or without cause termination. #bell #bce #bellmedia #layoff #BCElayoffs #termination #severance #employmentlawyer #lawfirm #labourrightslaw #employmentlaw https://lnkd.in/gQkSBst2

In the latest Deadline, we take stock of the over 500 newsroom layoffs in January and discuss how to navigate this murky media landscape moving forward. Plus, we share CNN's morning lineup changes, look at earnings from The New York Times and Fox Corp., discuss how companies should think about ESG communications in 2024 despite the acronym falling out of favor, and more. #Media #MediaMoves #MediaRelations #Newsletter #MediaLayoffs