What it does: CNN is an all-news television channel that provides the latest breaking news and in-depth coverage on weather, entertainment, business, politics, sports, and more.
Mission: To inform, engage, and empower the world.
Size and presence: CNN has over 4,000 employees worldwide and 40 editorial operations across the world. Its coverage is carried by more than 1,000 affiliates worldwide and it reached around 78.2 million households in the United States.
Best known for: its live coverage of breaking news and for reaching more individuals on television and online than any other news channel or cable news organization in the United States.
The good bits: Being one of the most distributed channels worldwide, CNN offers a lot of career opportunities. It can be a great place for those who are looking for a career in journalism. The best part is that it covers a lot of areas including US Politics, World, Business, Health, and more.
The not-so-good bits: The biggest challenge of working in a new channel is maintaining credibility as a trusted news source. It is a lot of work as these channels telecast news 24/7 and need their employees to give their 100%.
The Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational cable news channel owned by CNN Global which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery. It was founded by American media proprietors Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld in 1980 as a 24-hour cable news channel. It was the first TV channel to provide 24-hour news coverage and also the first all-news channel in the United States upon its launch.
In June 2021, the channel was ranked third in viewership among cable news networks with an average of 580,000 viewers throughout the day. CNN programming has aired through CNN International across the world and telecasts in over 212 countries and territories. The American version of CNN (US) is available in Canada, Japan, and some Caribbean Islands.
The main categories include World, Us Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Sports, Travel, Opinion, and Video. The teams work 24 hours, 7 days a week in CNN bureaus around the world. Moreover, the channel’s digital platforms have around 4,000 journalists in every corner of the world.
As CNN is a global news channel and works 24/7, the work environment is quite fast as reporters and journalists are responsible for delivering the latest news, updates, and analysis on current events. Candidates who want to apply for a job at CNN should expect some duties and responsibilities as an important part of the job.
CNN has a great culture that is focused on employee development and wellness. They provide good benefits to even entry-level positions. The job structure is placed into shift work so that employees don’t have to take a lot of work home. In simple words, CNN’s culture is rooted in employees’ passion for their work.
CNN is very formal when it comes to recruiting new employees regardless of the job role or department. Hiring is a constant activity in most news channels and CNN is no different and often looks for new faces who are passionate about the types of stories they will cover.
The recruitment process starts with applying for the job followed by phone interviews. Candidates selected during phone interviews are called for in-person meetings. These meetings include the senior and experienced members of the organization and are quite technical.
The final interview or HR round is conducted to know more about the candidates like personal details, interests, qualifications, skills, etc. This helps the management to decide whether to hire or not the candidate.
In a news channel like CNN which has a global reach and wide audience, job opportunities are in abundance but for the most eligible candidates. It offers many opportunities to job seekers who want to make a good career in journalism. They can look for jobs in departments like corporate & administrate, content & editorial, data & research, executive, human resources, marketing & communications, legal & business affairs, product management, studio operations, and technology.
There are also opportunities for recent graduates who are looking for internships and early careers. The paid internships provide the opportunity to work with professionals in the industry and gain experience in a variety of business units. It can be the best way to make networks and look for areas of opportunity.
The average estimated salary for CNN employees is $126,371 per year or $60 per hour. The average estimated median salary is $133,622 per year or $64 per hour. The highest-paid job at CNN is a Director of Sales who gets around $207,108 per year while Desktop Support is the lowest-paid job earning around $45,430 per year.
Talking about the average salaries of employees according to their department include Marketing at $82,111, Legal at $160,039, Customer Support at $57,978, and Business Development at $124,643.
The news channel covers the most challenging aspects such as climate change, drought crisis, pandemics, and more. It also talks about sensitive subjects and makes some underrepresented communities aware of their rights.
It is often criticized for its dramatic live coverage of breaking news and being overly sensationalistic. Though CNN claims to be ‘the most trusted name in news, it is accused of false balance.