Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent for CNN and the host of Reliable Sources, is leaving the network, Stelter told NPR.
The show has been canceled after a 30-year run on the network, the last nine of which have been anchored by Stelter. The longtime host, who was informed of the decision on Wednesday, told NPR that “it was privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential.”
CNN executive vice president for talent and content development Amy Entelis echoed that sentiment, professing to be “proud of what Brian and his team accomplished over the years,” and “confident their impact and influence will long outlive the show.”
Stelter and his show had been rumored to be on the chopping block ever since Chris Licht, who previously worked with Joe Scarborough and Stephen Colbert, succeeded ex-CNN president Jeff Zucker at the helm of the network.
Under Zucker’s leadership, Stelter made the “right-wing media” the focus of his work, drawing accusations of bias from conservatives. Stelter has also often been critiqued for his role in defending CNN during various controversies.
When it became clear that ex–CNN anchor Chris Cuomo had assisted his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, in his handling of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, Stelter defended both Cuomo and the network, calling it “awkward for CNN.”
“I don’t think, if we open up the journalism ethics book, there’s no page for this. It’s the craziest set of circumstances you can imagine,” said Stelter. “Right — a governor and a brother, both in these high-profile jobs. This was definitely awkward for CNN, though.”
Amid Zucker’s exit — which came after it was revealed that he was engaged in an inappropriate workplace relationship — Stelter lashed out at the network’s critics, arguing that “the people who say we’re lacking journalism, that we’ve become an all-talk channel, that we’ve run off and we’re all opinions all the time, that Jeff Zucker led us astray, those people aren’t watching CNN.”