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Among those being let go are Chris Cillizza, a political commentator who joined the network in 2017, and longtime reporter Martin Savidge, according to the outlet.
Also getting the chop are CNN correspondents Alison Kosik, Alex Field, and Mary Ann Fox, Variety reports.
Perhaps the most visible changes will occur on CNN’s sister network HLN, which will stop producing live programming and do away with its AM show Morning Express with Robin Meade, which has been on the air for more than two decades, according to Variety.
The show will reportedly be replaced by a simulcast of CNN’s revamped morning show, CNN This Morning, featuring Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow, and Kaitlan Collins as co-anchors.
In a memo sent to employees Thursday, Dec. 1, and obtained by Variety, CNN CEO Chris Licht said the company will reduce open job positions and focus on three key strategic priorities: programming, newsgathering, and digital.
“It will be a difficult time for everyone,” Deadline quoted Licht as saying. “If your job has been impacted, you will learn through an in-person meeting or via Zoom, depending on your location.”
A spokesperson told the outlet the layoffs are expected to impact nearly 200 employees.
Addressing his departure in a Twitter post Thursday, Dec. 1, Cillizza described his time at CNN as “an absolute blast.”
“I got to work with smart and dedicated journalists every day,” he said. “I’m sad it’s an end but also excited about what the future holds for me. Stay tuned!”
Savidge reflected on his time at the network in an email to Variety, saying he would stay a lot longer if he could.
“My love for this place is not just about (CNN founder Ted Turner's) original idea, but for the thousands here who like me believe in his dream,” Savidge said.
“Most of all I am grateful for the so many who have shared their stories and the places I have been able to see in the pursuit of news whether it be heart breaking or uplifting. This ride may be ending but not the adventure.”
CNN previously announced that it would be scaling back its CNN Original Series and CNN Films units in an effort to cut costs.
In April 2022, the network shut down its streaming service, CNN+, just one month after its debut amid a major shakeup in management after CNN’s former parent company, Warner Media, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery.
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