CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid is expected to leave the network and join MS NOW, according to multiple reports, marking another high-profile media move as the television news industry continues to undergo significant change.
Sources familiar with the matter told several outlets that Reid plans to depart CNN after contract renewal discussions. She is also expected to join MS NOW, the network formerly known as MSNBC, which has been expanding its newsroom following its separation from Comcast.
An MS NOW spokesperson declined to confirm the hiring but praised Reid’s work.
“As a general matter of practice, we don’t comment on personnel matters,” the spokesperson said. “As everyone in Washington knows, Paula Reid is an exceptional reporter, and any news organization would be fortunate to showcase her journalism.”
CNN declined to comment on the reports.
Reid joined CNN from CBS News in 2021 as a senior legal affairs correspondent and was promoted to chief legal affairs correspondent in 2023. During her tenure at CNN, she covered some of the country’s most closely watched legal and political stories, building on a career that included reporting on the White House and the Justice Department at CBS News.
Among her most prominent assignments was leading CBS News’ coverage of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s unsuccessful investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Her reported departure comes during a period of uncertainty for CNN as parent company Warner Bros. Discovery moves toward a planned acquisition by Paramount. The multibillion-dollar merger is expected to close in the coming months and has fueled widespread speculation about CNN’s future leadership and editorial direction.
While Paramount CEO David Ellison has publicly pledged to preserve CNN’s editorial independence, changes elsewhere within the company’s media portfolio have made some observers skeptical of that claim.
At CBS News, Ellison appointed Bari Weiss, journalist and founder of The Free Press, as editor in chief. Since taking over, Weiss has overseen a major restructuring that included changes to CBS Evening News and the departures of senior leadership at 60 Minutes, along with correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
MS NOW has continued to bolster its reporting staff following its corporate separation from Comcast. If finalized, Reid’s hiring would add another veteran Washington reporter to the network’s expanding roster.
The reported shift also reflects the broader reshuffling across the television news industry as networks adapt to changing ownership structures, evolving audience habits, and increased competition in the digital media landscape.
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