CNN Appoints Choire Sicha as Senior VP of Features Editorial

News Summary

CNN has announced the appointment of Choire Sicha as its new Senior Vice President of Features Editorial, aimed at enhancing its digital operations and subscription products. With a focus on expanding editorial features and subscriber engagement, this strategic hire follows recent layoffs and significant restructuring at CNN. As the network invests in digital journalism and aims for over $1 billion in subscription revenue by 2030, this move is part of its broader initiative to adapt to the evolving media landscape and address changing consumer habits toward online news.

Atlanta, Georgia – CNN announced the appointment of Choire Sicha as its new Senior Vice President of Features Editorial, a strategic hire intended to enhance the network’s digital operations and subscription products. Starting on May 19, Sicha, known for founding The Awl, will lead CNN’s efforts to expand its editorial features and subscriber engagement as part of a broader initiative to transition the organization towards digital content and subscription revenue streams.

This hiring comes in the wake of significant restructuring at CNN, which included the recent layoffs of approximately 200 employees, representing around 6% of its workforce, during a challenging phase for the company. As part of its rebuilding efforts, CNN has also recently brought back Amanda Wills as Chief Content Officer and Nancy Han as Senior Vice President of Video Editorial. These moves are integral to CNN’s commitment to revamping its editorial team to better compete with robust competitors like The New York Times.

Mark Thompson, the former president of The New York Times who now leads CNN, has emphasized the company’s goal of establishing a more compelling digital strategy. As part of a $70 million investment in digital journalism, CNN is aiming to create compelling lifestyle-oriented digital content along with a standalone streaming service that will operate independently from Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max platform. This comes as the network tests a new paywall strategy, charging $3.99 per month for access to select news articles while maintaining its traditional live TV subscriptions.

CNN is focusing on boosting its subscriber base on CNN.com, with an ambitious target of generating over $1 billion in digital subscription revenue by the year 2030. This strategic shift underscores the increasing importance of digital offerings amid declining viewership in traditional cable news markets, where streaming competitors like Fox Nation have been gaining popularity.

The organization’s attempt to carve out a distinct digital identity follows the failure of CNN+, its previous subscription-based streaming service that was shut down shortly after its launch in early 2022. In response to the changing media landscape and increasing reliance on digital platforms, CNN aims to incorporate enhanced multimedia content and plans to introduce more recognizable anchors into its digital offerings.

In the immediate future, CNN plans to launch its first new product under this revised digital strategy later this year, with additional product introductions anticipated in 2026. The strategic shift toward enriching its digital content is seen as essential for CNN to remain relevant in a media environment where consumer habits are shifting rapidly toward online and subscription-based news consumption.

As CNN positions itself for these changes, CEO David Zaslav has highlighted the network’s potential to offer unique and trustworthy news coverage, especially at a time when misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated content are on the rise. CNN’s multifaceted approach to integrating new talent, leveraging significant investment, and adapting to the evolving landscape holds promise for the revitalization of its digital footprint and long-term viability in the ever-competitive media landscape.

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