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Is abc news presently going through a shake up
Executive summary
ABC News has undergone several notable personnel and leadership changes across 2024–2025, including programming and host moves at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ABC (Fran Kelly and Media Watch) [1] and a corporate reorganization at U.S. ABC News tied to Disney leadership that altered the network’s senior management responsibilities [2]. Later reporting and tabloids describe additional shakeups and large layoffs in 2025 — with claims ranging from dozens to around 200 staff impacted — but coverage varies by outlet and some reports come from tabloids whose sourcing is limited [3] [4].
1. Leadership reorganization at U.S. ABC News: management shifted under Disney oversight
In early 2024, Disney’s Dana Walden announced a reorganization that placed broader news and entertainment units under different oversight, a move that effectively reduced the standing of ABC News president Kim Godwin and installed new oversight responsibilities for O’Connell; outlets reported this was connected to concerns about ratings and morale at ABC News [2]. Adweek and other reporting framed the change as part of a strategic consolidation of news and multiplatform responsibilities inside Disney’s TV empire [2].
2. Personnel turnover and morale questions cited in reporting
Multiple outlets have connected low morale and staff turnover at ABC News to the leadership changes, noting anonymous employee comments and internal reviews that allegedly critiqued Godwin’s leadership style [2] [5]. Coverage indicates these internal assessments fed into higher-level decisions, though the sources reporting staff sentiment are often anonymous and represent one side of internal debates [2] [5].
3. Claims of large layoffs and program mergers — reporting varies by outlet
Several outlets in 2025 published accounts of sweeping cuts and program consolidations at ABC News, with some claiming dozens of jobs were at risk or that around 200 staff received notices connected to wider restructuring [3] [4]. These accounts describe mergers of broadcasts and trimming of shows such as elements of Good Morning America; however, the more dramatic figures and characterizations primarily appear in tabloid-style coverage [3] [4].
4. Australian ABC (ABC News Australia) also announced program host reshuffles
Separately, ABC in Australia publicly announced host and program moves into 2025: Fran Kelly returning to daily broadcasting, Linton Besser replacing Paul Barry on Media Watch, and other scheduled host changes for RN Breakfast — explicitly described by ABC News as a staff shake-up for 2025 [1]. This is organization-specific change at the Australian public broadcaster and should not be conflated with U.S. ABC News corporate restructuring [1].
5. Distinguishing outlets, claims, and evidence — evaluate source reliability
Trade press (Adweek) and established outlets documented the Disney/ABC corporate reorganization and linked it to ratings and internal reviews [2]. Tabloid sources (The Mirror, The Mirror US) published stronger claims about mass firings and program “gutting,” with numbers that differ across stories [3] [4]. Readers should weigh industry reporting on management changes and motive (ratings, consolidation) more heavily, while treating tabloid numbers and dramatic phrasing as needing confirmation from primary company statements or multiple independent outlets [2] [3] [4].
6. What reporting does not say (limits of current sources)
Available sources do not mention a single definitive, company-wide statement from ABC (U.S.) quantifying total layoffs across 2025 in the provided set, nor do they include an ABC corporate press release confirming the specific headcount figures cited in tabloid pieces (not found in current reporting). They also do not provide contemporaneous, independently verified staff lists showing who left or was laid off beyond named anchor/host shifts (available sources do not mention a comprehensive official layoff list) [3] [4] [2] [1].
7. Competing narratives and potential agendas
Coverage reflects competing narratives: industry/trade outlets frame the moves as strategic reorganization tied to ratings and business decisions [2]; tabloid outlets emphasize dramatic staff cuts and “gutting” of flagship shows [3] [4]. Opinion pieces and partisan commentary (examples exist outside these sources) often present ABC as biased or failing for political reasons — the provided White House piece is an explicit political attack claiming ABC is “fake news” [6] — but that claim is an opinion piece and should be read as a politically motivated critique rather than neutral reporting [6].
8. Bottom line for your question: “Is ABC News presently going through a shake up?”
Yes — multiple, documented changes and reorganizations have been reported: a corporate reorganization affecting U.S. ABC News leadership and responsibilities [2], personnel and host changes at ABC News Australia [1], and reporting of further restructuring and layoffs in 2025 with varying scale reported by tabloids and secondary outlets [3] [4]. Readers should treat specifics like exact layoff counts as disputed in the current reporting and seek direct company statements or corroboration from multiple reputable outlets for firm numbers [2] [3] [4].