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Opinion: Possible CNN layoffs signal changes in news coverage

Nov 18, 2021

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An impending merger between Discovery and Warner Media, which owns CNN among many other media properties, could be a moment that upends the news industry. Deadline reports that David Zaslav, the CEO of the new venture, says he plans to be hands-on boss. During an interview where he was asked about changes at CNN, Zaslav said he thought America would “probably be better off if we just had news networks in America.”

If I were one of the liberal talking heads that appeared regularly on CNN, I’d be worried. Published reports suggest that the network is gearing up to fire a good number of on-air talent, yet another signal that CNN’s days of serving as a 24-7 mouthpiece for the Democratic Party are winding down.

I think the biggest news event this week, as it relates to politics is the announcement that CNN is going to fire a number of their on-air personalities. 

And that the new head of CNN is focused on getting them back to being a news program rather than the left wing opinion program. The first indication that this is real may have been the story they ran about the fight between vice president Kamala Harris, as staff and president Joe Biden’s staff. I’ve never seen anything quite like this. 

Normally vice-presidents know their job is to be whoever the president tells them to be. Something I suspect Biden after eight years of being the vice president for Barack Obama understands pretty clearly, but apparently Kamala Harris doesn’t and the result is per CNN. 

I mean, it’s one thing for Fox to do this, but for CNN to run a lengthy report that shows the level of infighting in the White House at a time of rising inflation when Biden is at 38% approval, she’s at 28% approval and the Republicans have the biggest congressional vote advantage in 40 years in terms of polling, uh, if CNN ends up actually covering news and the CNN people who historically have watched CNN actually learn what’s going on, this could be a revolutionary moment in American politics.

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