As if there wasn’t already enough happening in the news cycle, this (also) happened…
Source: Artur Widak/NurPhoto / Getty
CNN has made a significant move as part of its major restructuring. The news giant has disbanded its “Race and Equality” team and laid off around 100 employees. That’s nearly 3% of its workforce that were part of a department similar to the known DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).
CNN just cut its Race and Equality team, created in 2020 as a “significant, sustained commitment to ensure race coverage is a permanent part of our journalism” https://t.co/ot441IosmH https://t.co/hCuOKhoJh0
— Tess Garcia (@HiThisIsTess) July 11, 2024
Deadline reports that the announcement was made by CNN Chairman Mark Thompson, marking a notable shift in the network’s organizational structure and strategic priorities.
Newsrooms make revenue and culture choices every day. I’ve reported on school districts that disband equity initiatives and claim the work is still being done. Corporations do the same, and so do newsrooms. This is quite a choice: https://t.co/ExY5zbOypg
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleFCarr) July 12, 2024
Team’s Formation and Dissolution
Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, became an important and popular implementation in the workforce during the 2020 pandemic. Many corporate spaces saw and found the need for this framework, which opened up many jobs for under-represented communities.
PERSONAL BREAKING NEWS: I am now a reporter covering race and equality @CNN. Although politics has been my passion the past couple of years, it is time to pursue a deeper passion that includes telling stories about critical issues at the center of our nation and beyond.
— Chandelis Duster (@Chandelis) May 3, 2023
Today I am thrilled to announce I have joined @CNN as a senior writer on the race & equality team. Anyone who knows me — and is familiar with my work— knows this is my passion, my dream job. And this work is necessary. Onward! pic.twitter.com/pnZcgczFqF
— Nicquel Terry Ellis (@NTerryEllis) November 12, 2020
For CNN, the “Race and Equality” team was established in 2020 by then-CNN president Jeff Zucker in response to the nationwide protests against racial injustice and police violence swept across the United States, following the death of George Floyd.
The New York Post states that Jeff Zucker underscored the importance of structural changes and investments to better cover societal issues in a memo at the time:
“We are committed to doing that.” The creation of the unit was a tangible manifestation of that commitment, aiming to provide comprehensive coverage of issues related to race and equality.
The unit consisted of three reporters dedicated to covering issues related to race and equality, an initiative reflecting CNN’s commitment to addressing societal issues through in-depth reporting.
However, in the recent restructuring, the team has been dissolved. According to the New York Post, one journalist was laid off while the other two have been reassigned to different departments within the network. Initially, a CNN spokesperson claimed that the team had not been disbanded, but later clarified, “For all intents and purposes, the team is not a team anymore.”
Predictable, if true. During the 2020 uprisings, corporations, media, and elites were quick to align with BLM when it was profitable, trendy and advantageous. But when the hard work of dismantling systemic racism begins, they abandon ship. @CNN disbanding its Race and Equality… https://t.co/hXIf95mLfM
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) July 12, 2024
Despite the dissolution, the spokesperson emphasized that the focus on race and equality isn’t going anywhere, saying it’ll still be woven into all CNN programming.
We’ll see about that.
Hit the flip for more.
Impact on Workforce
Among those let go were notable journalists such as media critic Brian Lowry and senior tech writer Samantha Murphy Kelly. The layoffs are part of a broader effort by CNN to streamline its operations and refocus its resources.
In conjunction with the layoffs, CNN announced the launch of its first-ever subscription product for its CNN.com site.
Chairman Mark Thompson highlighted that the subscription offerings would feature exclusive content from the network’s lifestyle journalists, aiming to attract a dedicated audience willing to pay for premium content.
Why was the Race and Equality team dismantled if the investment is still there? CNN is contradicting itself. https://t.co/F4kCtvkpWb
— Allison Wiltz Psy.M. (@queenie4rmnola) July 12, 2024
This move represents a significant shift in CNN’s business model, reflecting broader trends in the media industry towards subscription-based revenue streams. This isn’t an isolated incident. Many news outlets, including smaller ones, are scaling back or eliminating their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) departments. This trend is part of a larger shift driven by political and cultural factors, as highlighted by Project 2025, which has criticized DEI initiatives.
A study from the Pew Research Center found that a majority of journalists believe their newsrooms lack sufficient racial and ethnic diversity, with younger and female journalists most likely to hold this view.
Moreover, many journalists of color feel that DEI work often falls disproportionately on them, creating a heavy burden. This scaling back of DEI efforts can undermine progress made since 2020, when many newsrooms, prompted by the racial reckoning following a list of names to be remembered lost to police brutality, began to take these issues more seriously.
Discourse: CNN’s Decision on Fact-Checking During Debates
The restructuring and layoffs at CNN come amid other controversies surrounding the network, including its approach to fact-checking during the recent debate between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. CNN faced criticism for not intervening to correct false statements made during the debate.
Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash chose not to fact-check live on-air, adhering to a format agreed upon by both campaigns, which positioned moderators as facilitators rather than active fact-checkers.
A CNN spokesperson recently sent Variety a statement in defense of this approach.
“The role of the moderators is to present the candidates with questions that are important to American voters and to facilitate a debate, enabling candidates to make their case and challenge their opponent. It is up to the candidates to challenge one another in a debate.”
Despite this defense, the decision not to fact-check live drew significant backlash from media critics. As BOSSIP previously reported, CNN also denied excluding Black Media Outlets, with CBC suspecting otherwise. The criticism reflects broader concerns about journalistic integrity and the role of media in addressing systemic issues.
In 2021, I was an intern for @CNN Race & Equality Team. It was my start as a journalist. This truly breaks my heart.
Says a lot about what and who matters in the mainstream media world. https://t.co/7NpAxzq0yB
— Giselle Rhoden (@_GizzleLynn) July 11, 2024
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah criticized CNN’s format on X arguing, “CNN’s moderating decisions damage the credibility of our profession. CNN’s format of no fact checking, no pushback, no follow-ups was a mistake.”
Also, Variety states that “New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof expressed his desire for more fact-checking.”
On the other hand, some praised CNN’s approach.
Fox News host Sean Hannity commended the moderators for their fairness, and Elon Musk appreciated the lack of favoritism shown during the debate. Political consultant Frank Luntz noted that his focus group of undecided voters approved of the moderators’ questions and perceived lack of bias.
Future Directions, What’s Next For CNN?
So, what does the future hold for CNN? With the “Race and Equality” team gone and a new subscription model on the horizon, CNN is clearly in a state of transformation. As CNN navigates these significant changes, the network faces the challenge of maintaining its journalistic integrity and audience trust while adapting to evolving media landscapes.
There’s a strategic pivot that will shape CNN’s future coverage and business operations. The network’s handling of these transitions will be closely watched by both media professionals and the public as it seeks to find trusted news outlets.
Will they manage to keep their audience and uphold journalistic integrity, or will these moves backfire? One thing’s for sure – all eyes are on CNN as they try to balance innovation with their core mission of delivering the news.