News

Massive Cuts at CNN Affects Roughly 200 Journalists

Published

1 year ago

2022-12-05

Massive Cuts at CNN Affects Roughly 200 Journalists

CNN is laying off hundreds of employees in a cost-cutting effort highlighting the financial challenges that many media companies face as the economy approaches a possible recession.

The layoffs began on Wednesday and ended on Thursday, with employees affected notified in person or via Zoom.

“It is incredibly difficult to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team,” CNN CEO Chris Licht wrote in a staff memo obtained by The Washington Post on Wednesday, describing the layoffs as a “gut punch.”

Chris Cillizza, who joined CNN in 2017 as a political reporter and editor-at-large, confirmed his dismissal from The Washington Post. Susan Glasser, a CNN global affairs analyst, said she was “one of many” part-time commentators laid off. Rachel Metz, a senior technology writer, expressed her “devastation” at being laid off on Thursday.

Other television networks are planning to cut costs this winter. According to a Business Insider report, NBCUniversal, NBC News and MSNBC’s parent company will lay off employees in January, though a news division spokesperson declined to comment Thursday. Disney, ABC News’ parent company, is also planning layoffs under the leadership of Bob Iger, who recently returned as CEO.

Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain, is planning a round of layoffs that will affect approximately 200 journalists at newspapers large and small over the next two days.

CNN Layoffs

CNN off approximately 400 employees in August and halted hiring for hundreds more positions.

“While extremely difficult, implementing these efficiencies and responding decisively to the ongoing macroeconomic volatility will continue to propel Gannett’s future,” said Lark-Marie Antón, a spokesperson for Gannett.

Rachel Axon, a USA Today sports investigative reporter who has reported on sexual abuse in competitive sports, was among those laid off. “I’m grateful to everyone who has trusted me with their stories,” she said on Twitter. “I’ve never forgotten the honor of showing their triumphs or holding those who harmed them accountable.”

One Gannett publication journalist told The Washington Post that he was laid off because of Zoom, leaving a newsroom of less than a dozen reporters behind. “They read from a script and thanked me for my service, which I find amusing,” the person said on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly.

According to CEO John Lansing, who addressed employees on Wednesday, NPR is also facing a financial shortfall that will necessitate $10 million in budget cuts over the next ten months. Sally Buzbee, the executive editor of the Washington Post, informed employees on Wednesday that the company’s weekly print magazine would be closed, citing The Post’s plans for “global and digital transformation.”

“A lot of media companies like CNN are looking at the economy right now and saying to themselves, ‘We’re about to go into recession, and we’re going to need fewer people,'” said Chris Roush, dean of Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications.

CNN Plus

CNN employees are no strangers to layoffs this year, as Licht moved quickly to shut down the network’s expensive new streaming service, CNN Plus, just three weeks after it launched in April.

A network spokesperson said that about 350 employees would be affected at the time, though some of the service’s star journalists, including Chris Wallace, Audie Cornish, and Kasie Hunt, have remained with the network.

CNN management also decided to part ways with media correspondent Brian Stelter and the staff of his weekly “Reliable Sources” show in August and White House correspondent John Harwood earlier this year.

According to an audio recording obtained by The Post, at a companywide meeting last month, Licht defended the need for layoffs while pledging to minimize the impact on newsgathering operations.

He explained that the cuts are part of a “strategic reimagining of how we do business” and an effort to better position the network for 2023. When asked if he expected more layoffs next year, he replied, “not at this time.”

CNN-HLN

Licht announced in a memo on Thursday afternoon that sister network HLN — formerly known as Headline News — will cease producing live programming, including the morning show hosted by Robin Meade, who has also been laid off. The network now primarily airs unscripted crime and mystery shows.

“These are difficult choices. “They’re nerve-racking for everyone involved,” said digital media executive Jon Klein, who oversaw CNN in the United States from 2005 to 2010. “The only advantage is that you’ll better understand where the value is in your organization.”

He claims that cutting costs “forces executives to look hard at their business and understand what the audience values.”

According to Quinnipiac University’s Roush, some media companies “grew way too fast” and over-invested in talent before developing a sizable audience and business model. Klein said that the “cord-cutting” trend had hard-hit television news.

The industry struggled to offset the loss of cable subscription revenue and advertising dollars with gains in digital subscriptions.

Although the impact on journalism is difficult to predict, Victor Pickard, professor of media policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, believes the cuts come at the worst possible time for American democracy.

In an interview, Pickard stated, “This is about maximizing profits for shareholders.” “These are rash business decisions that do not consider the implications for a democratic society.” At this point in our country’s history, any layoffs in the media are a step back.”

Last month, at the company’s town hall meeting, Licht urged CNN journalists to keep reporting and developing sources but to do so cost-effectively in what he called a “tough economic environment” that could last into next year.

“Of course, you should do source dinners,” he explained. “Perhaps not with a bottle of Dom Pérignon.”

Source: Washington Post, VOR News

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News

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

Published

8 hours ago

2024-05-19

Kiara Grace

DENPASAR, Indonesia — On Sunday, Elon Musk visited Bali, Indonesia’s resort island, to debut Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago.

In a green Batik shirt, Musk was greeted with a garland of flower petals at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali’s provincial capital, where he and Indonesian politicians launched the Starlink service.

Indonesia, a large archipelago of 17,000 islands spread across three time zones with a population of over 270 million, has been attempting for years to obtain deals with Musk’s Tesla for battery investment and with Musk’s SpaceX to bring fast internet to the country’s distant parts.

AP – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

During the ceremony, Musk conducted a speed test of the Starlink internet connection with many health professionals from Indonesia’s remote regions, including Aru, one of the country’s least-served and most distant islands in Maluku.

“This can make it really a lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be a possibility for education as well,” Musk stated to reporters.

“If you have access to the internet, you can learn anything and sell your company services around the world. So, I think it’ll be quite beneficial,” he explained.

He also inked an agreement to improve connections in the country’s healthcare and education sectors. Details of the arrangement between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, the aerospace company that operates Starlink services, were not disclosed.

According to Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the launch of the service at a health clinic is consistent with Starlink’s overall aim of offering inexpensive access to high-speed internet services, particularly in underserved and distant areas.

“Our remote regions need Starlink to expand high-speed internet services, especially to help with problems in the health, education, and maritime sectors,” said Pandjaitan, a close supporter of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He had separate conversations with Musk on Sunday.

Budi Arie Setiadi, Minister of Communication and Informatics, previously stated that local internet providers, who rely on base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach the outer islands due to poor coverage. Starlink’s satellites, which are still in low orbit, will help them provide speedier internet with statewide coverage.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin states that around 2,700 of the country’s more than 10,000 clinics lack internet connection.

Kids News – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

“The internet can open up better access to health services as communication between regions is said to be easier, so that reporting from health service facilities can be done in real time or up to date,” he stated.

Musk will also attend the 10th World Water Forum, which aims to solve global water and sanitation issues, during his first in-person visit to Bali.

Musk spoke in 2022 at the B-20 business gathering, which preceded the Group of 20 leading economies’ summit in Bali. He attended the meeting via video link weeks after completing his much-scrutinized takeover of Twitter.

Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Widodo on April 17, stating that the business will “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella paid a visit on April 30 and announced plans to invest $1.7 billion in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia over the next four years.

AP – VOR News Image

Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service In Indonesia, World’s Largest Archipelago

Indonesia, under Widodo, has pushed the growth of the digital technology and information industries in order to accomplish the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. The Netherlands aspires to be one of the world’s top five economies, with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after gaining independence from Dutch invaders.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Canada Fisheries Officers Seize Elvers Worth $500K at Toronto Airport

Published

1 day ago

2024-05-19

Geoff Thomas

The seized elvers are worth between $400,000 and $500,000: CTV News

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers seized roughly 109 kg of unlawful elvers at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The elvers were scheduled to be transferred overseas.

The seized elvers are worth between $400,000 and $500,000.

An investigation into this matter for violations of the Fisheries Act is currently underway.

“The magnitude of this elver seizure is an important development,” said Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, in a statement. “It reflects not only the work of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, but also the collaborative efforts of many other government agencies and departments.

“Once again, our message is crystal clear: do not travel to Nova Scotia to illegally fish or export elvers this year, enforcement officers will be waiting for you.”

This seizure was the product of a coordinated operation combining officials from the DFO’s Conservation & Protection Directorate and the National Fisheries Intelligence Service, as well as the CBSA Commercial Operations District and intelligence teams.

The federal government banned the lucrative elver fishery on March 11 following violence and intimidation during last year’s fishing season in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Elvers are often flown to Asia and grown to maturity before being sold for food, with mature eels utilized in unagi dishes at sushi restaurants.

The baby eels are valued approximately $5,000 per kilogram, more than lobsters, scallops, or salmon, making them the most valuable fish by weight in Canada.

The DFO announced in March that no elver fishing would take place this year due to safety and conservation concerns. So far, cops have made 149 arrests and seized around 207.7 kg of elvers.

According to federal data, 149 people have been arrested for elver-related crimes this year, with approximately 208 kilos recovered.

Elvers, the fascinating baby eels

Elvers are tiny, transparent young eels that migrate from the ocean into freshwater rivers and streams. These little snake-like organisms make an astonishing journey, swimming thousands of miles to their destination. Elvers perform an important role in the life cycle of eels, eventually maturing into the adult eels we know.

Their migration is a spectacular natural spectacle. Elvers crawl in large groups upstream, overcoming barriers such as waterfalls and dams. Once in freshwater, they will mature for years before returning to the sea to breed and repeat the cycle. Elvers face numerous dangers, including habitat loss and over fishing, making conservation efforts critical for these extraordinary migratory.

News

CNN Pay Tribute to Alice Stewart: A Very Special Woman Dead at 58

Published

1 day ago

2024-05-18

Geoff Thomas

Alice Stewart, a longtime political strategist and CNN political pundit who worked on multiple Republican presidential campaigns, has died. She was 58. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer joins Jessica Dean to reflect on Stewart as a friend and coworker.

According to law enforcement officials, Stewart’s body was discovered outside in the Belle View community of northern Virginia early Saturday morning. There is no indication of foul play, and officers assume a medical emergency occurred.

“Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson wrote in an email to employees Saturday. “A political veteran and Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an exceptional spark to CNN’s coverage, known throughout our bureaus not only for her political acumen, but also for her unfailing kindness. Our emotions are heavy as we lament such a great loss.”

Alice Stewart was born March 11, 1966, in Atlanta.

Stewart began her career as a local reporter and producer in Georgia before relocating to Little Rock, Arkansas, to become a news anchor, she told Harvard International Review. She went on to work as the communications director for then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee before taking on a similar role for his presidential campaign in 2008.

She previously worked as the communications director for former Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s 2012 Republican presidential campaign, as well as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a former CNN analyst. Stewart most recently served as the communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 GOP campaign.

“Alice was wonderful, talented, and a dear friend,” Cruz wrote in a post on X. “She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed.”

CNN hired Stewart as a political pundit ahead of the 2016 election, and she appeared on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” as recently as Friday to provide insight on the day’s political headlines.

“We always invited her to come on my show because we knew we would be a little bit smarter at the end of that conversation,” Blitzer stated to Jessica Dean on “CNN Newsroom.” “She helped our viewers better appreciate what was going on and that’s why we will miss her so much.”