ABC News correspondent out after post criticizing Stephen Miller
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ABC News senior national correspondent Terry Moran. Photo: Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images
ABC News said it won't renew senior national correspondent Terry Moran's contract. Moran was recently suspended after calling President Trump and top aide Stephen Miller "world-class" haters.
Why it matters: The incident marks another flash point in the White House's fraught relationship with the press and quickly became a lightning rod for criticism from Trump administration officials.
What they're saying: "We are at the end of our agreement with Terry Moran and based on his recent post — which was a clear violation of ABC News policies — we have made the decision to not renew," ABC News said in a statement to Axios.
- "At ABC News, we hold all of our reporters to the highest standards of objectivity, fairness and professionalism, and we remain committed to delivering straightforward, trusted journalism."
Between the lines: Many newsrooms have guidelines that recommend news staff maintain a position of objectivity and discourage them from expressing opinions on social media platforms.
Catch up quick: In a since-deleted post, Moran said Miller, who is White House deputy chief of staff for policy, was "richly endowed with the capacity for hatred."
- Miller called Moran's post a "full public meltdown" and argued it showed how "privileged anchors and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose."
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Moran's rhetoric as "unacceptable and unhinged" on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," saying, "I think this speaks to the distrust that the American public has in the legacy media."
Zoom out: The Trump administration has targeted traditional media companies in the form of regulatory scrutiny, reduced access or legal battles over funding.
- Those threats have pressured news outlets to weigh the costs of political retribution, ramping up tensions between executives and staff.
- CBS News is still embroiled in a $20 billion lawsuit with Trump over a "60 Minutes" segment. Tensions between management and leadership have ramped up as the organization considers whether to settle the case.
- ABC paid $16 million in December to settle a case over comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos.
- Moran could not be immediately reached for comment.
