In yet another sign of CNN’s continuing decline, top anchors Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer have been denied pay raises while rumors swirl about a looming pay cut for former Fox News host Chris Wallace. As the network faces plummeting ratings, new leadership under Mark Thompson is tightening the belt, and rank-and-file staff are bracing for what is being described as an “inevitable” round of layoffs.
Mark Thompson, known for his tenure at the BBC and *The New York Times*, was brought in by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav with one mission: overhaul the beleaguered network. CNN, once a cable news giant, has been shedding viewers and revenue, forcing Thompson to make difficult decisions regarding staff pay and the future of its operations. According to reports from *The Ankler*, Thompson is telling CNN’s top-paid stars to accept flat salaries or walk away, as he tries to cut costs and right the ship.
Jake Tapper, CNN’s Chief Washington Correspondent and host of *The Lead*, was recently re-signed to a new three-year contract that keeps his salary at $7 million per year. Similarly, veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer, host of *The Situation Room*, will remain at his current salary of $3 million. These figures, flatlined from their previous contracts, signal a broader trend at CNN: cuts, freezes, and potential reductions.
“Flat is the new up,” an agent representing CNN talent told *The Ankler*, signaling that no one at the network should expect a pay raise in these lean times.
While some outlets, like *Puck*, have disputed the exact figures, noting that Tapper and Blitzer earn millions more than what has been reported, the broader point remains: CNN’s stars are being forced to accept the new financial reality of a struggling network.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Chris Wallace, the 77-year-old former Fox News host who was brought over to CNN with much fanfare in 2021. *The Ankler* reports that Wallace will likely be forced to take a pay cut from his current $8.5 million salary, with some sources claiming his salary is closer to $7 million. Wallace, who was hired under former CNN President Jeff Zucker, may soon find himself at a crossroads as the network looks to shed high earners.
The uncertainty at CNN isn’t limited to its top talent. The network’s rank-and-file staffers are reportedly bracing for a “bloodbath” of layoffs as Thompson continues his overhaul. According to insiders, Thompson is preparing to slash pay or eliminate positions altogether for many of the network’s national correspondents, who currently earn six-figure salaries. CNN lists 92 people as on-air “reporters and correspondents,” but that number may soon dwindle as the network attempts to cut costs.
Adding to the anxiety, Thompson is said to want a more “edgy” approach to CNN’s programming, pushing out the traditional anchorman-style format in favor of cheaper, younger talent who can appeal to new digital platforms like TikTok. According to *The Ankler*, reporters may soon be asked to write their own scripts, produce their own segments, and even record vertical footage for TikTok videos.
This shift reflects a broader trend across liberal media: a desperate attempt to win back younger audiences through flashy, gimmicky content, instead of delivering serious, substantive journalism. With viewership on the decline and a bloated newsroom operation that produces overlapping content across digital and on-air divisions, CNN’s financial woes have left many questioning the network’s future.
“Mark has made it known he doesn’t like the conventional style of TV packages we are doing,” one staffer told *The Ankler*. “He wants people who are edgy. He doesn’t want people who look like your traditional anchorman, and it turns out those edgy people are cheaper.”
As CNN struggles to remain relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape, Thompson’s radical overhaul may be the network’s last-ditch effort to stay afloat. But with declining viewership and mounting internal frustration, it’s unclear if these changes will be enough to save a network that has long strayed from its journalistic roots. One thing is clear: CNN is no longer the cable news juggernaut it once was, and its future is anything but certain.
