Mark Thompson Remains Providing Some Relief For Staffers

Mark Thompson will remain chairman and editor in chief of CNN after Skydance completes its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery this week, most likely on Tuesday.

Thompson, CNN’s chief executive, told employees said he reached the decision to stay after lengthy talks with Skydance executives, including chief executive David Ellison. He wrote that he has “real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.” He will keep “the same responsibilities and prerogatives that I have now,” the memo said.

Thompson will report to both Ellison and co-chief executive Ynon Kreiz, according to a person familiar with the planned leadership structure. On Monday, Skydance said Thompson and Bari Weiss, who runs CBS News, will both serve on a “C.E.O. news executive leadership team,” each overseeing their own network.

The former New York Times chief executive has made CNN’s digital subscription business a priority. 

He said the new owners have reviewed that strategy “and are as excited about it as we are.” Some details of how CNN will be integrated with Skydance, which owns CBS News, “yet to be finalized,” he wrote. His contract expires in the spring; he has been in talks with Ellison in recent days about renewing it.

Thompson’s decision is expected to ease anxiety inside CNN over the change in ownership. Some staff had worried that network leaders might have to report to Weiss, a critic of mainstream media. Anderson Cooper, CNN’s best-known anchor, told colleagues he did not want to work for her.

An undercurrent of uncertainty remains over how Thompson and Weiss will work together. There is a widespread belief that CNN and CBS News will eventually have to combine back-end operations as Ellison seeks to reduce debt, which could require a single leader for the combined news division.