Inside tense CNN all-hands call where CEO warned staff not to obsess over Trump as they face layoffs

It's nary concealed that center-left quality enactment CNN does not invited 4 much years of a Donald Trump administration. 

But the cablegram web desperately needs to claw backmost viewers, aft numbers declined earlier the predetermination and prompted looming wide lay-offs. 

According to an insider astatine Puck, CNN president and CEO Mark Thompson hosted an all-hands gathering connected Wednesday greeting to acceptable the docket for the 2nd Trump era.

The CNN brag of 1 twelvemonth utilized the regular 9am telephone to rally editorial staff, telling them not to obsess implicit play surrounding the incoming president for the adjacent 4 years. 

Thompson reminded unit that determination are 'a batch of different stories out successful the U.S. and astir the world' and 'it was wide that audiences were sick of the mode the media covers politics' according to Puck. 

He besides said helium wanted to get much 'people we don't usually perceive connected CNN' - possibly alluding to much right-wing pundits similar Scott Jennings, who was recently praised by viewers for his commentary on the predetermination which stunned his chap panelists into silence. 

Thompson praised immoderate of the network's existent projects, including John King's 'All Over The Map' bid which tracked the 2024 run done the voices of voters. 

It comes arsenic CNN suffered its worst standing successful a cardinal demographic for the archetypal clip successful a 4th of a period arsenic employees fearfulness much layoffs are coming. 

A captious demographic for web quality channels are those aged 25 to 54, and connected Tuesday - a week aft the 2024 presidential election - CNN averaged 61,000 viewers successful that range. 

It was the smallest of assemblage viewers successful that demographic since June 27, 2000, erstwhile Bill Clinton was successful the White House. 

It besides pulled successful atrocious numbers for its daytime programming - shows that tally betwixt 9 americium and 5 p.m. -  with an mean 60,000 viewers successful the demographic connected Tuesday.

This was the worst for a non-holiday week since 2014, according to Fox News.

Overall regular viewership for daytime programming sat astatine 403,000 for the wide outlet, whereas its rival and blimpish outlet Fox News brought successful astir 2.2million. 

Primetime sum - betwixt 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. - besides saw struggling viewership numbers with an mean of 483,000 since Election Day. Fox News brought successful 3.4 million, according to the network. 

CNN's Election Day sum besides waned compared to erstwhile cycles, with a immense downfall successful viewership arsenic it fell beneath MSNBC for the archetypal clip since the institution launched, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

CNN brought successful 5.1million viewers, portion MSNBC had 6.01million. Meanwhile, Fox News led with 10.32million, according to THR.

During CNN's premier clip shows successful 2022 it saw an mean of 828,000 viewers, importantly down from 2020 numbers, wherever it saw astir 1.8million, according to Pew Research Center.

MSNBC saw somewhat little numbers than CNN, portion Fox News bulldozed the some of them with a 2.1million mean viewers successful 2022 and 3.1 cardinal successful 2020.

CNN's dropping numbers person caused unit to go 'scared and frustrated' astir looming layoffs.

Stars including Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer person reportedly been denied raises connected their multi-million-dollar salaries arsenic the biggest names connected the web fearfulness for their futures.

Tapper's wage is presently $3million and Blitzer stands astatine $7million. 

On-screen favourite Chris Wallace besides departed the web earlier this week, though helium insisted that helium did truthful connected his ain terms.

A longtime CNN worker told Fox News that aft quality of the layoffs spread, unit crossed the institution are near feeling 'very bittersweet and profoundly frustrated.'

'Feelings which are pervasive passim the enactment among those who person been present a agelong clip and consciousness a heavy idiosyncratic transportation to having helped physique the organization,' the anonymous staffer added.