Donald Trump often brags about his ratings and how he has single-handedly saved television news.
But his enduring influence on legacy media loomed large this week as CNN announced a major restructuring that includes 200 layoffs, a significant pivot toward digital platforms, and new roles for prominent TV anchors like Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper and Audie Cornish.
Media observers said the overhaul, led by CEO Mark Thompson, highlights the ongoing challenges faced by traditional broadcast and cable news outlets in a landscape shaped by shifting audience habits, cord-cutting and polarizing politics.
Thompson, a former executive at The New York Times and the BBC, has been tasked with reviving CNN’s fortunes under its parent company Warner Bros-Discovery, which observers said reflect not only economic pressures but also the aftershocks of Trump’s presidency, which has simultaneously supercharged cable news ratings and polarized its audience.
To wit: Trump’s frequent attacks on CNN and his branding of it as “fake news” alienated much of his base, complicating the network’s ability to recapture viewers in the post-Trump era. The struggles are part of a broader trend in legacy media, with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News dominating conservative viewership and Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post pursuing digital growth while facing its own profitability challenges.
These institutions, once seen as pillars of journalistic authority, now grapple with a fragmented media landscape driven by social media, streaming and the continued influence of Trump as a cultural and political figure.
For example, CNN — which once relied heavily on opposition to Trump for ratings during his first presidency — had seen viewership plummet even since his return to the White House. For instance, Trump’s second inauguration drew 1.7 million viewers on CNN, a sharp decline compared to the 8 million who tuned in for Joe Biden’s.
The rise of digital-first competitors and platforms like Fox News Digital, OutKick (a conservative outlet founded by Clay Travis) and social media have further siphoned audiences from traditional cable networks. As Travis remarked on Twitter (“X”): “Not only is Trump stronger than he’s ever been in his political career, he may well have killed legacy media as we know it.”
In response, Thompson is steering CNN toward a digital focussed future. While layoffs hit the TV production side, CNN plans to pour USD$70 million into its digital operations, including new online subscription products and a streaming platform designed to replicate the TV experience across devices. Thompson said the network aims to generate $1 billion in digital revenue by 2030, echoing his success at the Times, where he transformed the paper into a digital subscription powerhouse.
Meanwhile, CNN announced a refreshed programming lineup, moving Blitzer’s Situation Room to mornings, expanding Tapper’s show to two hours in the evening and giving Cornish a morning anchor slot. Notably absent from the schedule is Jim Acosta, a prominent Trump critic who is negotiating a new role after reportedly declining a late-night assignment.
While CNN pivots to digital, its competitors face their own challenges. Fox News under Rupert Murdoch, has remained the ratings leader but has seen a reshuffling of key talent. At the same time, Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post continues to struggle with declining advertising revenue despite its digital growth.
Meanwhile, even CBS News fired rabid anti-Trump anchor Norah O'Donnell. The drive-by media is desperately trying to move to the centre even as competitors like CNN move right.
As the battle for audiences intensifies, Thompson’s mission to reinvent CNN reflects the larger challenge of adapting legacy media to a polarized, digitally driven era shaped by Trump’s media dominance. The only thing certain is that the network and its competitors face a long, uncertain road ahead.