Brian Stelter will depart CNN following the cancellation of the long-running show he's hosted for the past nine years, Reliable Sources, the network confirmed.
"It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential," Stelter said in a statement. He said he'd say more on Sunday when CNN runs the final episode of Reliable Sources.
"Stelter came to CNN from the New York Times as the nation's top media reporter. He departs CNN an impeccable broadcaster," Amy Entelis, CNN's executive VP for talent and content development, also in a statement. "We are proud of what Brian and his team accomplished over the years, and we're confident their impact and influence will long outlive the show."
CNN's chief media correspondent joined the cable news network in December 2013. His exit marks one of the bigger transformative moves so far by new CNN chief Chris Licht, who under the direction of new CNN corporate overlord Warner Bros. Discovery, is attempting to reorient viewer perception of the channel on the political spectrum.
With the tribal world of cable news personalities, Stelter had become positioned decidedly on the left, especially after his frequent pointed criticisms of former president Donald Trump's media strategies.
Liberty Global mogul John Malone, a key WBD stakeholder through his interest in Discovery, has publicly called for a move for CNN to the perceptive center.
Of course, Reliable Sources linear ratings -- which bottomed out to their lowest levels since September 2019 recently -- undoubtedly factored into Licht's decision.
Stelter's exit follows the departure of Jeffrey Toobin, who left CNN last week after 20 years as chief legal analyst.
