CNN set to cut employees this week as part of CEO Mark Thompson’s digital overhaul: report

CNN is set to lay off staffers this week as boss Mark Thompson presses ahead with a sweeping digital overhaul — with deeper cuts looming as a potential merger reshapes the network’s future.

The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned outlet is set to cut “a few dozen” staffers as it moves to modernize its 3,000-plus global workforce, according to the Status newsletter.

The cuts are expected to hit roles not tied to growth areas, marking CNN’s latest move away from its cable roots and toward a digital-first future, Status reported.

The move follows a prior round of cuts under Thompson, who eliminated about 6% of CNN’s workforce last year as part of an ongoing effort to shift the network away from its legacy cable model and toward digital growth.

This week’s cuts are likely to pale in comparison to layoffs expected if Paramount takes ownership of CNN as part of its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Paramount agreed last month to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at about $31 per share, or roughly $110 billion, fending off a rival bid from Netflix, which had previously struck an agreement to buy the company’s studios and streaming assets before walking away.