Veteran journalist Jim Acosta turned down an offer from CNN that would have seen him leave his current role.
Acosta, known for his assertive reporting on the Donald Trump administration, informed viewers on Tuesday that he would depart the network rather than accept a new position anchoring a two-hour live newscast commencing at midnight.
“I have decided to move on. One final message: don’t bow to lies, don’t bow to fear,” Acosta said at the end of his ‘CNN Newsroom’ broadcast. Acosta, aged 53, joined CNN in 2007 after working at CBS News. He made a name for himself as a national political correspondent and became the network’s chief White House correspondent in 2018.
“Jim has spent a long and distinguished career spanning nearly 20 years at CNN, where his work has championed upholding power, the First Amendment, and journalistic freedoms. We are grateful for his dedication and commitment to reporting and wish him the best in his future endeavours,” the network said in a statement.
Acosta’s decision came as CNN announced changes to its daytime schedule. The network is moving ‘The Situation Room’, with anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown, to the 10 a.m. time slot, where viewers had been watching Acosta for the past year. The changes are set to take place in March.
CNN chairman Mark Thompson proposed a prime-time slot to anchor Jim Acosta for a new news programme. The programme would air live during late-night hours on the East Coast, occupying the prime-time slot on the West Coast, where cable news outlets typically broadcast reruns of earlier evening programmes.
The impending change, however, was perceived by many as ushering the journalist into a phase marked by declining viewership and advertising revenue. Moreover, the prevailing political climate led some to question CNN’s rationale.
Acosta, known for his assertive reporting style, had been among the most tenacious journalists covering the Trump administration. Notably, his White House press credentials were suspended in 2018 following a contentious briefing room exchange with then-President Trump, only to be reinstated later by a court order.
Several political commentators have suggested that CNN’s decision to remove Jim Acosta from a prime-time slot was a move to appease former President Donald Trump, who is known for his antagonism towards media critics, the Los Angeles Times reported. These commentators argue that Acosta’s departure could be interpreted as a sign that CNN has taken a less critical approach to covering Trump in his post-presidency.
“Acosta is one of your most independent and fearless hosts. Demoting him … is pathetic to appease a cry-baby in the White House. And an abdication of your duty to hold all public officials accountable. Shame on you CNN,” Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman and regular guest on CNN, wrote on X on Thursday.