Paula Reid is laying down the law at CNN.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet’s chief legal affairs correspondent has decided to leave ahead of an expected takeover of the news giant by Paramount Skydance, according to two people familiar with the matter. Reid had the option to renew her contract, but chose to exit, these people say, citing some of the uncertainty of continuing to work at CNN as it faces a new future under different corporate management.
Status, a newsletter about the media industry, previously reported on her planned exit from CNN. CNN declined to comment on Reid’s departure.
Ever since she joined CNN following a stint at CBS News, Reid has been one to watch. She has been highly visible on the network, covering matters tied to the Supreme Court with increasing frequency, but also federal and state investigations into high-ranking officials, including President Biden and President Trump. Reid was part of a team that broke the news that Trump had been captured on audio tape discussing a classified document he kept after leaving his first term at White House. She has also been spotted working as a substitute anchor for various personnel, particularly on weekends.
Her exit may spur questions about CNN’s next steps as Paramount moves to finalize its acquisition of its corporate parent. Journalists at the news giant have been anxious about the direction of the news operation ever since Warner reversed a decision to sell its streaming and studio assets to Netflix and instead packaged the whole company for Paramount. The reporters are watching events taking place at CBS News, which has been put under the aegis of Bari Weiss and has suffered ratings erosion at “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings” as well as a diminution of credibility and the exit of a handful of prominent anchors and executives — some by their own choice, others through corporate cuts.
Reid likely has contacts at CBS News. She worked there for nearly a decade, joining in 2010 and rising to become a White House correspondent in 2019. Before that, she reported on the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, legal affairs, and stories involving federal law enforcement. She led CBS News’ coverage of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and major developments related to the Mueller probe.
In an era when more journalists with special areas of expertise are able to launch their own digital ventures, Reid may have options in the so-called “creator media” field. Or she may be able to field new offers with more ease once detached from her current contract at CNN. No matter the next stop in her career, she may just blaze a path others at the network want to follow.