NEWSTop CNN Star Paula Reid Quits Amid Network Shake-Up
Paula Reid abruptly resigned from CNN ahead of the $110 billion merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and David Ellison's Paramount Skydance.
July 1 2026, Published 3:14 p.m. ET
CNN legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid has abruptly resigned from the cable news network amid mounting concerns and uncertainty about the network's upcoming acquisition.
Her contract was up for renewal this summer, but she chose to exit ahead of the $110 billion merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and David Ellison's Paramount Skydance.
Ellison previously overhauled CBS News and installed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, causing severe internal upheaval, plunging ratings and high-profile talent departures at the venerable network.
Network Overhaul
Scott Pelley was fired after complaining about CBS News' leadership overhaul.
Since taking control in late 2025, Ellison and Weiss have executed an aggressive, highly controversial restructuring aimed at steering the network toward a more politically right-of-center, heterodox perspective.
Weiss controversially fired the executive leadership of the network's crown jewel newsmagazine, 60 Minutes.
To replace traditional TV news veterans such as Scott Pelley, who was terminated after complaining about the overhaul, Weiss installed tech and media writer Nick Bilton to run the program.
Veteran Departures
Anderson Cooper shockingly left '60 Minutes' earlier this year, while Sharyn Alfonsi was fired after alleging clashing with the network.
This choice sparked an open letter from furious CBS staff demanding the preservation of the show's editorial integrity.
Weiss pulled a high-profile, fully produced segment regarding torture in Salvadoran prisons off the air, signaling a swift shift in what the network chooses to cover.
Longtime correspondent Anderson Cooper left 60 Minutes, later telling colleagues he explicitly refuses to work under Weiss' editorial direction.
Veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi was fired after alleging she was penalized for refusing to alter factually accurate reporting.
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Anxiety in the Newsroom
CNN CEO Mark Thompson reportedly told Paramount that he will not share oversight of the network.
Despite ratings severely declining across the network's key news broadcasts, reports indicate Ellison is strongly considering placing Weiss in charge of CNN as well, sparking deep anxiety in the newsroom.
Mark Thompson, the current CNN CEO, has reportedly told Paramount that he will not share oversight of the network, illustrating the high internal tension over Weiss' potential involvement.
Before walking away, Reid, who joined CNN in 2021, held private, candid conversations with top CNN executives, flagging her discomfort with the impending takeover and its risk to editorial direction.
'She Will Depart'
Technology journalist Kara Swisher reportedly has also threatened to quit her role at CNN.
According to a report by Status, Reid allegedly declined a “generous renewal deal,” and instead handed in her resignation, effective when her current contract is up.
“CNN executives wanted Reid to stay with the network, but were ‘unable to offer assurances’ about what impact Ellison’s ownership will have on editorial coverage,” The Daily Beast reported.
Status said Reid was uneasy about “the uncertainty surrounding the merger,” and decided to leave CNN in light of its “unsettled future.”
While Reid is the first major CNN correspondent to flee ahead of Ellison’s takeover, Status also reports that technology journalist Kara Swisher “has repeatedly said in recent months she will depart” when the deal is settled.
