Raging CNN staff blast boss over layoffs, with demoted Jim Acosta's career now on the brink

Furious CNN staffers person rounded connected their CEO Mark Thompson implicit wide layoffs which besides saw prima anchor Jim Acosta publically humiliated.   

'Honestly, this spot is specified a mess,' an anonymous on-air property told The Independent after the astir 200 firings affecting CNN's TV division. 'I'd really beryllium relieved if immoderate decisions had a rationale down them,' they added. Even 1 similar that.'

Another staffer, described 'a CNN employee', claimed the antheral down the lay-offs, erstwhile New York Times President Mark Thompson, is retired of touch, saying, 'He gave the slightest inspiring remarks astir [the] layoffs that I've ever heard' connected Thursday.

'[They were] conscionable truthful code deaf and insensitive to radical who are getting cut,' helium said of words conveyed to those manning the network's Manhattan office that greeting astatine a unit meeting.

Afterwards, a memo detailing the firings was sent out. Behind closed doors, Thompson insisted the hundreds of cuts were 'proportionally, a comparatively tiny number,' prompting the response.

Meanwhile, different casualty of the cuts appears to beryllium longtime big Jim Acosta, who, portion not shown the door, mislaid his hallowed 10am CNN Newsroom spot due to the fact that of Thompson's long-in-the works restructuring plan, which gave mode to the layoffs.

The hr volition present spell to Wolf Blitzer, 1 of the fewer on-air personalities with a longer tenure than anti-MAGA prima Acosta, and Pamela Brown - a determination that volition spot Acosta's sanction stripped from the show's title.

Acosta has reportedly been offered a graveyard midnight slot contempt beardown ratings. But the humiliating mode his demotion was leaked to the nationalist earlier the announcement has apt infuriated him, with the LA Times reporting that Acosta is present considering each options.  

Acosta often recovered himself astatine likelihood with Donald Trump during the latter's presidency, present revived aft the events of November. 

Aside from a digital-first model, Thompson is demanding stars similar Acosta tone-down their anti-Trump asides - thing the second has, truthful far, has seemingly ignored.

On the acceptable of CNN's Newsroom, helium has continued to fact-check the president adjacent aft Thompson's stern speech Sunday afternoon, archetypal reported by erstwhile CNN Media Reporter Oliver Darcy's Status newsletter.

On Wednesday, with the layoffs conscionable connected the horizon, Acosta again engaged successful his present trademark lean-forward benignant of journalism - 1 that had been connected afloat show during his well-know spars with Trump wrong the East Room of the White House. 

There, he publicly chided Republican lawmaker Tim Burchett for refusing to 'take a stand' connected President Donald Trump’s January 6 broad pardons - urging him to 'Say [you denounce them]!', successful what amounted to a politicized argument.

'The changes we’re announcing contiguous are portion of an ongoing effect by this large quality enactment to profound shifts successful the mode audiences successful America devour news,' Thompson would constitute successful a memo a time later, laying the layoffs bare.

'It’s the aboriginal days, but we’ve already established that there’s immense request for it not conscionable successful America but astir the world,' helium added, referencing a bid of caller subscription-driven ventures meant to code waning viewership.

Execs besides elaborate a shuffle that helium admitted volition impact the station's full TV schedule, portion naming stars acceptable to move. However, portion mentioning large names similar Jake Tapper, Blitzer, and ex-NPR big Audie Cornish, Acosta's was noticeably absent.

Instead, that was said of the 53-year-old was that helium volition forfeit his 10am timeslot, seemingly without an hr to spell to.

This has sparked a tempest of speculation, and a bid of dependable reports garnered by penetration from insiders astir the anchor's fate.

Fox News on Thursday reported that Acosta is 'getting hosed' wrong CNN's offices implicit his 'shocking' demotion.

An insider told the presumption - who for 20 years has been the apical canine successful cablegram quality - that accepting a midnight-to-2am slot is his 'only way forward' astatine the network. That remains to beryllium seen.

 Such a move, though. would spot him formed to an hr galore person referred to arsenic the 'Siberia' of cablegram news, competing with precocious nighttime hosts arsenic opposed to journalists.

CNN is said to beryllium trying to sweeten the woody by reminding Acosta that he'll beryllium connected surface during premier clip for westbound seashore viewers.  

A web spokesperson, meanwhile, would lone corroborate CNN is 'in progressive discussions with [Acosta] astir a caller clip slot and volition person much accusation to stock soon.'

In the meantime, Acosta continues to antheral his emblematic timeslot, fractional a time removed from the graveyard shift. 

He volition apt bash truthful until March, erstwhile the lineup changes volition spell into effect. At that time, Jake Tapper’s The Lead volition displacement aboriginal successful the day, from 5pm to 7pm ET.

The recently created Blitzer and Brown programme - stylized arsenic The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown - will aerial for 2 hours, starting astatine 10 americium ET, CNN said.

CNN This Morning, meanwhile, volition suffer an hr to go a one-hour show, hosted by Cornish astatine 6am ET. Kasie Hunt, presently the big CNN This Morning, is moving to afternoons to big The Arena.

Thompson was brought successful to code declining numbers astatine some the Times and BBC also revealed different integer task acceptable to travel aboriginal this twelvemonth - a subscription merchandise surrounding 'lifestyle'-related content.

'This is simply a infinitesimal wherever the integer communicative feels similar an existential question,' helium told the Times Thursday, aft starring oregon astir 8 years. 

'If we bash not travel the audiences to the caller platforms with existent condemnation and scale, our aboriginal prospects volition not beryllium good.'