CNN has figured out that future success — perhaps even survival — hinges on whether the network can reinvent itself in a rapidly changing journalism environment. The once-proud news outlet is suffering from declining ratings and a tarnished overall brand image. The CNN brass has announced plans to shake things up, hoping to maintain a touch of relevance in the news industry.

The fact that CNN needs a major overhaul reflects the concern that its reputation has cratered in recent years. Compared to just four years ago, CNN has lost 58 percent of its total day audience. Beyond the ratings problems, there is a general sense that CNN is no longer a key player in the overall agenda-setting journalistic marketplace.

The reset is also a response to the changing environment, in which consumers get their news from more places and through more platforms than in the past. Few news consumers these days are willing to sit in a living room chair to watch CNN content on television, or even idly scroll the CNN website. CNN’s problems are shared to some degree by most establishment news outlets, but CNN seems to be suffering disproportionately.

CNN’s top executive, Mark Thompson,

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