Pros
1) The people, with few exceptions, are great. People within the product org are friendly, collegial, and have a good sense of humor. They're the main reason that I stayed for as long as I did. 2) The CNN brand is recognizable throughout the world, and carries weight on a resume (more so for journalists, but still). And you can accuse CNN of bias, but you have to admit that the company is a big voice in the media space and plays an important role on the national stage. 3) Once you've made it into Turner, there are lots of opportunities to move around to other brands if you wish (though it's very dependent on your ability to network). 4) Product moved into renovated offices at the end of 2017, and the updated space is nice and modern (more like a modern Silicon Valley office, though not as extravagant). 5) The downtown (CNN Center) location is very convenient to reach by car (free parking), bike, or MARTA. It's also a short walk to lots of good food destinations. 6) Turner takes community service seriously, and allows you to take off up to 40 hours annually for volunteer activities (as long as it doesn't impact your work). There's also a semi-annual Turner Volunteer Day, which provides staff with the option to serve the community via activities that are organized by Turner staff (they do a great job).
Cons
1) One of the most consistent, sustained complaints among Product Managers and Directors is that they feel like order takers and project managers, and that they aren't involved in defining the strategy of their products. This is due to a lack of resources (e.g. Product Managers have to act as PMs, the Product Strategy team was dissolved years ago), expertise (e.g. CNN/Turner doesn't offer any form of strategy training), and expectations from the senior mgt team (who do not emphasize strategic thinking). 2) Senior management (VPs & above) are just ok, at best. Actual leadership skills are lacking or missing entirely, and there hasn't been a real vision for the Product org in years. As a result, defined organizational goals have also been weak or entirely missing. Missing vision and goals makes coordination throughout the ranks difficult, and creates a lot of confusion. 3) Big, wide-ranging decisions are often made based on gut feelings, rather than relying on data and careful reasoning. Senior leadership is replete with ego and bias, and they respond very poorly to being challenged and constructive criticism (despite preaching otherwise). 4) CNN is not particularly innovative or proactive about its products. Annual product roadmaps are largely defined by whatever the org didn't roll out in the previous year, copying competitors moves, reacting to Apple/Google/Facebook, or by the whims of senior management (who mostly rely on industry buzz to inform their decisions). 5) Product has restructured every year for the past 5 years, which involved staff cuts. The restructures occurred without much warning, and the reasons given (if they were given at all) tended to be vague and superficial ("It's a fast moving industry, so this is totally normal.") The most recent restructuring was in February/March 2018. 6) Mobility i very restricted and salary increases are pitiful. Most people have been in the same roles for years, and CNN tends to hire from without rather than promote from within.
