CNN mocked after Pentagon reporter shares picture of 'intern' puppy: 'First useful hire in decades'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: CNN Pentagon correspondent Haley Britzky shared an innocent and adorable post on X, introducing Rose, a yellow Labrador working as a facility dog for the Office of the Secretary of Defense – Public Affairs (OSD-PA).

Meant to be lighthearted, the post referred to Rose as CNN’s “newest intern” saying, "If you see CNN’s newest intern in the Pentagon halls, please, be nice. She is still learning."

CNN Pentagon correspondent’s puppy post sparks online roast

Rose’s real job? She’s not fetching coffee or running reports, she’s part of the Pentagon’s outreach team, helping with official tours and assisting media personnel. But instead of getting the usual flood of “good girl” comments, the post quickly took on a life of its own, with social media users roasting CNN rather than celebrating the pup.

What should have been a harmless post about a hardworking service dog turned into an opportunity for critics to take shots at CNN. Many sarcastically joked that Rose was “probably the only honest employee at CNN,” while others made cracks about diversity hiring and media bias.

One user wrote, "Finally, someone nice, loyal, and honest at CNN!" while the other user wrote, "Cute dog. The employer sucks."

Another commented, "The first useful hire at CNN in decades."

"Finally, a real journalist at CNN," a user said while another wrote, "Already more trusted than Jim Acosta to tell us the truth for once."

One commentator lamented, "Cute dog, too bad it is affiliated with CNN in any way. No milk bones for you!"

Some users found the criticism amusing, while others were baffled that people would use a sweet dog’s introduction to take jabs at the network.

“Approved! No probation before being hired on full time! Clearly responsible and polite. I see this candidate becoming the most popular of employees!” one person commented.

CNN and NBC prepare for major layoffs amid cost-cutting efforts

CNN is gearing up for a significant wave of layoffs, with hundreds of employees expected to lose their jobs as the network restructures its operations.

According to sources cited by CNBC, CNN CEO Mark Thompson will announce the job cuts on Thursday, just days after warning top on-air figures including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper about the risks of “pre-judging” President Donald Trump.

The move comes as CNN, owned by Warner Bros Discovery, looks to shift resources toward a global digital audience while reworking its traditional TV programming. The restructuring plan includes consolidating teams, reducing production costs, and potentially relocating some shows from New York and Washington, DC, to Atlanta, where operations are more affordable.

CNN isn’t alone in trimming its workforce. NBC News, owned by Comcast, is also preparing for layoffs this week, though the expected number will be under 50. Neither Comcast nor Warner Bros Discovery has commented publicly on the cuts.

These job reductions follow similar moves across the media industry. The Washington Post recently announced plans to eliminate around 100 jobs or roughly 4% of its workforce, as it struggles with financial losses. Meanwhile, the Associated Press revealed in November that it would be slashing 8% of its staff to modernize its operations.