Comment CNN parted ways with veteran White House correspondent John Harwood on Friday, in what network insiders saw as the latest evidence of a shift to a less politically charged tone under new leader Chris Licht. Harwood, who could not be reached for comment, appeared on CNN Friday morning, reporting from the White House grounds. But at noon he announced his departure via Twitter. He wrote that he is “proud of the work” he did at CNN and “[looks] I can’t wait to find out what’s next.” Harwood, a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter, joined the network in January 2020 after serving as CNBC’s chief Washington correspondent from 2006 to 2019. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Harwood still had time at his contract with CNN, suggesting that network brass has decided to end his tenure early. CNN spokespeople declined to comment on the reason for his departure. “We appreciate John’s work covering the White House and wish him the best,” they said in a statement. As a reporter who often provided political analysis, Harwood was a regular on the network’s airwaves, who was “clearly in demand on the air,” a surprised CNN spokesman said. His departure follows the abrupt departure of CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, host of the weekly media news show “Reliable Sources,” which ran for three decades until it was canceled last month. Like Harwood, Stelter had time on his contract. Another longtime CNN commentator, legal affairs expert Jeffrey Tobin, announced his departure on August 12. Several current and former CNN employees who spoke to The Washington Post — most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly — interpreted the sudden departure as evidence that Licht, who joined the network as president and CEO adviser in May, begins a term firing voices that had often criticized former President Donald Trump and his allies in an effort to launch a new, more ideologically neutral CNN. This aligns with a vision repeatedly expressed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery. Zaslav hired Licht to replace Jeff Zucker, the network’s ousted leader, who had encouraged an earlier tonal shift at CNN, allowing the network’s stars to express more emotion and opinion. From 2021: The new CNN is more thoughtful and emotional. Can it still be “the most trusted name in news”? “People are freaking out,” said a CNN reporter. “It’s almost like there’s a pattern. Is it being cleansed? They seem to be sending a message: “Watch what you say. Watch what you’re doing.” Licht has provided little guidance publicly about a new assignment for CNN, leaving some staffers feeling disengaged. “Longtime CNN personalities are disappearing and viewers don’t know why,” said another CNN insider, noting that Licht hasn’t hired many new voices to replace them. Harwood’s voice-over commentary set him apart from many of his CNN peers. In his latest appearance on Friday morning, Harwood called Trump a “dishonest demagogue” when discussing President Biden’s speech from Philadelphia the night before. Harwood added that the “key point” of Biden’s speech, which argued that Trump and his supporters are a threat to democracy, “is true.” Harwood acknowledged on-air that his own statement deviated from the conventions of traditional journalism. “We’ve been brought up to believe that there are two different political parties with different views and we don’t take sides in honest disagreements between them,” he said. “But we don’t talk about that. These are not honest disagreements.” Harwood’s comment was seen as a deliberate “final salvo,” said Wajahat Ali, a political commentator who served as a CNN contributor in 2019 and 2020. “I don’t think it was an accident,” Ali said. Ali speculated that the forced departures of Stelter and Harwood will send a message to other CNN reporters that they should limit their political analysis for fear of crossing the line of opinion, risking losing “a job that everyone wants.” Licht told CNN staff that he hopes to see more Republican politicians make guest appearances. He visited Capitol Hill in July and held meetings with key Democrats and Republicans. But the network rejected suggestions that Licht was specifically trying to curry favor with Republicans, saying he just wants to make CNN “a place for fair and respectful dialogue, analysis and debate.” Licht’s first actions on the job are being watched closely in light of comments from John Malone, a major Warner Bros. shareholder. Discovery, who told CNBC last fall that he “would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism it started with and actually have reporters.” In an interview last month with The New York Times, Malone denied any involvement in the decision to fire Stelter. He said he wants “CNN’s news division to be more centrist,” but that he “doesn’t control or be directly involved.” In a memo to staff in May, Licht said he wants CNN to help restore the trust many people have lost in the media by “fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, challenging ‘groupthink.’ and educating viewers and readers with clear facts and insightful commentary, while always respecting differing opinions.” But one CNN reporter who spoke to The Post said colleagues are still trying to figure out exactly where the new lines are drawn. “I think they’re hoping people will just guess what to do.” A veteran network producer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, expressed concerns about how the recent departures — and the message they sent internally — will affect coverage of the upcoming midterm and presidential elections. could include Trump as a candidate. “It’s a really confusing and troubling time at CNN from top to bottom,” the producer said. “I don’t know anyone who is happy right now.”
