Bad timing? CNN cuts medical staff amid Ebola crisis
CNN is cutting staff across the board to the tune of 8 percent out of 4,000, but the timing of Sanjay Gupta's medical unit getting snipped down in size as part of a restructuring isn't exactly great timing.
Conservative website Breitbart snarkily noted that this is happening in the midst of a major Ebola crisis.
In reality, CNN is currently pouring major resources into the story. Under president Jeff Zucker, CNN is now focusing on two or three major stories at a time, almost to the exclusion of anything else. Right now, Ebola is story No. 1 and Gupta is on air constantly.
Gupta's axed weekend show "Sanjay Gupta MD" was a features-oriented program, not focused on breaking news. He will continue to do long-form reporting and documentaries on top of breaking news.
CNN's medical unit is sizable, I'm told, but I'm not sure how many people are on Gupta's team and how many have been cut so the long-term impact is unclear. Two sources have given me numbers ranging from 15 to 20 before the trims.
A CNN spokeswoman declined to comment.
