Mark Thompson, former chief executive of The New York Times and the BBC, has been appointed CEO of CNN. Thompson's appointment is a response to the numerous challenges CNN currently faces, including a shifting media landscape, political turmoil and internal problems at the network. The new CEO is known for his experience in transforming traditional media into digital powerhouses.
Mark Thompson is CNN's new boss!
Thompson's appointment as CEO was announced by David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company. He stressed that in today's news industry there is no more experienced, respected and competent person than Mark Thompson. The network's new boss will serve as chief executive, chairman and editor-in-chief.
Who is Mark Thompson, CNN's new boss?
Mark Thompson was born on 31 July 1957 in London. Over the years he built up media experience that earned him recognition in the world of journalism and media management. He is regarded as the person who saved The New York Times during the most turbulent period in the newspaper's history. During his tenure, The New York Times became the first news organisation in the world to surpass one million digital subscriptions.
CNN faces serious challenges
Experience at the NYT and the BBC
The most important challenge the new CEO will have to handle is the decline of interest in the traditional television model, which still generates most of the network's revenue. Thompson faced a similar challenge during his time at The Times, when the long-standing print-based business began to decline, readers moved to the internet and cancelled their print newspaper subscriptions. The CEO handled it brilliantly at the time and transformed the newspaper into a digital powerhouse.
Political and reputational problems
Adapting to the world of modern media is not the only problem CNN faces, however. The network is currently struggling with problems of a political nature. Donald Trump made it a target of attacks during his presidency, and now he is running for another term. The newsroom will now have to contend with a flood of disinformation from the former president and his allies.
The new boss's words to his staff
In his first memo to staff, Mark Thompson wrote:
We are exposed to pressures from every side – political, cultural, structural – call it whatever you like. There is no magic wand that I or anyone else could wave to make this disorganisation disappear. I can say, however, that where others see a threat, I see an opportunity – especially bearing in mind CNN's magnificent brand and the strength of its journalism.
CNN has problems at the highest level
A difficult legacy from his predecessors
Thompson, however, faces a very difficult task. CNN is a global news organisation employing 4,000 people, and over the past 20 months there have been considerable upheavals at the network's management level. First, long-standing chief executive Jeff Zucker was removed unexpectedly; later the network shut down its streaming service CNN+ and fired well-known presenters Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon. There were also mass layoffs at lower levels.
Zucker's successor, Chris Licht, did not fare well. During his brief tenure as chief executive he failed to win over his subordinates. Newsroom morale fell to one of the lowest levels in the company's more than forty-year history. Licht's programming decisions led to significant drops in viewership. Under his management, MSNBC began to overtake CNN in key viewership metrics, including the 25-54 age group, which advertisers care about most. Licht was fired in June, when an article appeared in The Atlantic containing his critical comments about the network's actions before his tenure began.
Temporary leadership was taken over by a team consisting of head of talent Amy Entelis, head of newsgathering Virginia Moseley, head of programming Eric Sherling and David Leavy, who took on the role of head of commercial. This team, known internally as "The Quad", quickly got to work, restoring internal morale and making a number of important decisions, including completing a permanent evening programming lineup. Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the four-person leadership team would continue to carry out their roles, reporting directly to Mark Thompson.
Mark Thompson therefore takes on the role of CNN's boss at a time when the network is grappling with difficulties related to changes in digital media and streaming, and is facing challenges related to politics and internal organisation.
About CNN: CNN, or Cable News Network, is one of the best-known and most influential news networks in the world. Founded in 1980 by Ted Turner, CNN was a pioneer of 24-hour television news broadcasting. The network had an enormous influence on the development of television journalism and became an important source of information for millions of people around the world.
Summary
Mark Thompson takes the helm of CNN at an exceptionally difficult moment. The network is struggling with falling viewership, political attacks from Donald Trump and a crisis of trust in the newsroom after the firings of Jeff Zucker and Chris Licht. Thompson has behind him a successful transformation of The New York Times, where he surpassed one million digital subscriptions, which could be crucial to the broadcaster's future.
The new CEO sees the current situation as an opportunity rather than a threat. He has pledged to use the strength of the CNN brand and its journalism to rebuild the network's position. The coming months will show whether his experience is enough to deal with the problems he has inherited.
