Since the re-election of former President Donald Trump, CNN has been facing management difficulties due to declining ratings and revenue.

Declining Ratings and Advertising Revenue

Following Trump's re-election, CNN's prime-time ratings have dropped by 45% compared to the previous year, totaling about 405,000 viewers. In particular, the key advertising demographic of 25-54 years old saw a 52% decrease, resulting in only 77,000 viewers. In contrast, competitor Fox News saw a 7% increase in ratings during the same period, capturing 72% of prime-time viewers.

Organizational Restructuring and Digital Transition

In response to the declining ratings, CNN has implemented a large-scale organizational restructuring. In January 2025, approximately 200 employees will be laid off, and $70 million will be invested in the digital sector to enhance streaming services and digital content.

Additionally, adjustments to the time slots of key anchors are being made in an attempt to recover ratings. For example, Wolf Blitzer has moved from the evening slot to the morning slot, and Jim Acosta, an anchor of CNN who has been seen as a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump, has opposed the change to a late-night news slot, leading him to leave CNN after nearly 18 years.

Future Outlook

CNN's CEO Mark Thompson has warned that "without current changes, CNN may no longer exist," showing a commitment to overcoming management difficulties through digital transition and organizational restructuring.

However, it seems unlikely that ratings recovery and profitability improvement will occur in the short term, and CNN will need to seek long-term survival through continuous innovation and strategic investments.

CNN is making various efforts to overcome the current crisis, but effectively responding to the rapidly changing media environment and the evolving consumption patterns of viewers will be crucial.