(SNews) – CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht has reportedly fired a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump. Politics Reporter and Editor-at-Large Chris Cillizza has been let go from CNN according to Variety. He has worked at CNN since 2017.
Other CNN staffers getting the axe include Alison Kosik, Martin Savidge, Alex Field, and Mary Ann Fox. Licht earlier terminated Trump critics Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources and axed White House Correspondent John Harwood.
According to Variety, Licht will gut HLN: “CNN will no longer produce live programs for HLN, according to one of these people, and will simulcast “CNN This Morning” in place of “Morning Express,” the A.M. news program that takes up most of HLN’s daytime schedule.
“HLN’s true-crime programming will be placed under the aegis of Warner Bros. Discovery executive Kathleen Finch, and made more a part of the operations of the company’s ID cable network.”
Licht wrote a memo this week to CNN employees about the coming cuts. The memo leaked before the ink was dry on it. Licht wrote to mall CNN employees:
“To my CNN colleagues, our people are the heart and soul of this organization. It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team, much less many. I recently described this process as a gut punch, because I know that is how it feels for all of us.
“Today we will notify a limited number of individuals, largely some of our paid contributors, as part of a recalibrated reporting strategy.
“Tomorrow, we will notify impacted employees, and tomorrow afternoon I will follow up with more details on these changes.
“It will be a difficult time for everyone.
“If your job has been impacted, you will learn more through an in-person meeting or via Zoom, depending on your location.
“In those meetings, you will receive information specific to you about notice period or any severance that would apply, and your anticipated last day.
“I want to be clear that everyone who is bonus eligible will still receive their 2022 bonuses, which are determined by company performance.
“I know these changes affect both our departing colleagues and those who remain, and we have resources designed to support you.
“I will include a link to those resources in my follow up email tomorrow.
“Let’s take care of each other this week,” he wrote.
Chris Cillizza is one of the CNN staffers who have been let go in the latest round of layoffs by Chris Licht, according to @bristei:https://t.co/ZWDKSjkEYs pic.twitter.com/c4KhRYsi3O
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) December 1, 2022
#NEW: Among the CNN layoffs are correspondents Alison Kosik, Martin Savidge, Alex Field, Mary Ann Fox, and….CHRIS CILLIZZA https://t.co/Oal9XGT9a7
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 1, 2022
#NEW: Among the CNN layoffs are correspondents Alison Kosik, Martin Savidge, Alex Field, Mary Ann Fox, and….CHRIS CILLIZZA https://t.co/Oal9XGT9a7
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 1, 2022
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