Brian Stelter to leave CNN as network cancels Reliable Sources

Reliable sources are reporting Brian Stelter's time at CNN has come to an end.

CNN's chief media correspondent is set to exit, the network confirmed Thursday. In a statement to multiple outlets, CNN said it has canceled his weekly show, Reliable Sources, and confirmed that "as a result Brian Stelter will leave the company." His show will end on August 21.

Stelter joined CNN in 2013 and for almost a decade hosted Reliable Sources, which focuses on analysis and criticism of the media. He also worked on CNN's Reliable Sources newsletter and has written multiple books, the most recent of which focused on "Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth." His 2013 book about morning TV, Top of the Morning, was the inspiration for the Apple drama series The Morning Show. 

As a frequent critic of right-wing media and especially Fox News, Stelter is a controversial figure among conservatives, who have often accused him of bias. His departure comes amid a time of change for CNN, which came under new corporate ownership following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. In April, CNN's streaming service, where Stelter briefly hosted a daily version of his show, shut down weeks after it launched and shortly after the merger was completed.

CNN President Jeff Zucker also abruptly resigned in February. The network's new boss is Chris Licht, who according to The Hollywood Reporter is seeking to "shift CNN's focus toward hard news." In June, Axios reported Licht was "evaluating whether personalities and programming that grew polarizing during the Trump era can adapt to the network's new priority to be less partisan," and the report said that "if talent cannot adjust to a less partisan tone and strategy, they could be ousted."

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