CNN White House Correspondent John Harwood leaving network
- Sara Fischer, author of Axios Media Trends
Debate moderator John Harwood questions candidates at the third Republican Presidential Debate hosted by CNBC, October 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
CNN on Friday let go of John Harwood, a White House correspondent that was at times critical of the Trump Administration.
Why it matters: It's the second high-profile journalist the network's new leadership has cut amid its attempt to make the network appear less polarizing.
Details: Harwood joined CNN in 2020 from CNBC, where he served as chief White House correspondent.
- A source told Axios that Harwood still had at least two years left on his contract with CNN.
What they’re saying: "Today's my last day at CNN … proud of the work … thanks to my colleagues … i've been lucky to serve the best in American media - St. Petersburg Times, WSJ, NYT, the NBC family, CNN … look forward to figuring out what's next," Harwood tweeted on Friday.
- "We appreciate John's work covering the White House, and we wish him all the best," a CNN spokesperson said.
Between the lines: The move comes weeks after the network abruptly fired its chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, who had more than three years left on his contract.
- CNN also canceled the Sunday morning show hosted by Stelter called "Reliable Sources," one of the oldest-running programs on the network.
The big picture: The high-profile talent cuts come amid major changes at CNN under its new leadership.
- Chris Licht, CNN's new CEO, has made changes to curb the alarmist tone of CNN's coverage, including cutting back on the use of breaking news banners.
- Axios reported that Licht has been evaluating whether personalities and programming that grew polarizing during the Trump era could remain a good fit for the network.
Go deeper: CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter to exit