Yesterday, Chris Ariens of TVNewser broke the news that CNN was letting go veteran correspondent Miles O’Brien and several veteran producers as part of a broader dismantling of the network’s science, space, environment and technology division.
“Now that the bulk of our environmental coverage is offered through the Planet in Peril franchise, which is part of the AC360 program, there is no need for a separate unit,” a CNN spokesperson told Mr. Ariens.
“In television news, a nearly 17-year stint at one shop is more than just a good run — it is an epoch,” Mr. O’Brien said in a prepared statement.
Afterwards, a number of writers, including some former CNN veterans, criticized the decision.
Over at The Columbia Journalism Review, Curtis Brainard writes that CNN is not the only network slashing science reporting jobs and that “the decision to eliminate the positions seems particularly misguided at a time when world events would seem to warrant expanding science and environmental staff.”
More from the article:
Elsewhere, former CNN producer Chez Pazienza criticizes the cuts in light of the network’s ravenous shopping spree, which we wrote about recently.
From the post:
Finally, erstwhile CNN Internet reporter Jacki Schechner also criticizes the network’s decision to let go of Mr. O’Brien and his colleagues, writing, “I can’t say enough great stuff about him… To hear he’s being let go—along with 6 other producers—is a real disappointment.”
“These are veteran producers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years,” she adds. “No flash. No ego. Just amazing guys who knew their stuff and wanted to put out the best news possible as often as possible. To say I’m livid would be an understatement.”
