CNN executive Amy Entelis, in a separate statement, said that Stelter “departs CNN an impeccable broadcaster” and that the company is “confident [his team’s] impact and influence will long outlive the show,” Entelis said.
The cancellation news, which was first reported by NPR, is the first major programming shake-up under the management of new network boss Chris Licht. The veteran news producer and television executive began serving as chairman and chief executive of CNN Worldwide in May, replacing Jeff Zucker, who was pushed out by parent company management in February.
“Reliable Sources,” which launched in 1992, delved into the week’s biggest media stories, bringing on reporters, editors, politicians and public intellectuals to discuss the way the news is being covered and how it impacts society. During the Trump presidency, the show regularly dug into how his administration was being covered, as well as discussing press coverage of issues like gun control and the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Tex., the economy, misinformation and disinformation.
Licht has made other recent changes to CNN’s weekend lineup, though, including the decision to dedicate the 7 p.m. hour on Sunday nights to former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, who came to the network to host a show on the CNN Plus streaming service that was shut down after only a few weeks of existence.
Stelter, 36, joined CNN from the New York Times in 2013, where he had established himself at a young age as a top media reporter; he got his start in the field by launching his own much-read blog about the broadcast news industry, TV Newser, while an undergraduate at Towson University. He is the author of a 2020 book about Fox News, which he has covered closely for many years, and another book in 2013 that chronicled the world of morning television.
“I’m grateful for my nine years with CNN, proud of what we accomplished on Reliable Sources and so thankful for the viewers who tuned in every week for our examination of the media, truth and the stories that shape our world,” Stelter told The Post in a statement. “It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential.”
Stelter said he would address his departure on Sunday’s episode of the show, which is one of only two national television news programs dedicated to reporting on and analyzing the media industry. The other, the Fox News show “MediaBuzz,” is hosted by Howard Kurtz, who helmed “Reliable Sources” for 15 years before Stelter.
Oliver Darcy, a senior media reporter for CNN, will continue working at the network and will helm the network’s nightly media newsletter, a spokesperson said.
Licht, under the oversight of Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav, has indicated that he wants to take CNN in a more neutral, less opinionated direction — though he has been slow to enact big changes, opting instead to take some time studying the network’s programming and speaking with employees before deciding how the network needs to change.
Licht’s next big decision will come in picking a 9 p.m. host to replace Chris Cuomo, who was fired in December. He has also said he planned to overhaul the network’s morning show, “New Day.”
This story will be updated.
