Her exit comes as Paramount, which owns CBS,<\/a> is set to acquire CNN\u2019s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery<\/a>, in a massive $111 billion deal that has left some CNN staff reportedly feeling uncertain about the network\u2019s future.<\/a><\/p>\n The 43-year-old correspondent, whose contract was set to expire this summer, declined a generous renewal deal from network executives and said she plans to leave, according to Status,<\/a> a media industry newsletter. It was not immediately clear if she has another job lined up.<\/p>\n Reid had the option to renew but chose to exit amid uncertainty ahead of the merger, sources told Variety.<\/a><\/p>\n The legal correspondent has long been a fixture across CNN\u2019s programming after joining the network in 2021 <\/a>following a stint at CBS News. She covered the Supreme Court and federal and state investigations of top officials, including President Donald Trump. <\/p>\n The Independent has contacted CNN for comment. <\/p>\n The Justice Department\u2019s Antitrust Division approved Paramount Skydance Corp\u2019s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery last month, saying that the transaction poses no threat to competition across streaming, traditional television or the film industry. <\/p>\n Analysts expected the deal to move forward without a hitch due to Paramount\u2019s political connections. CEO David Ellison and his father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, both have ties to Trump. <\/p>\n Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi said politics would not be a factor in the DOJ\u2019s decision, and Paramount has argued that the deal has no antitrust problems. Paramount also claims that the merged companies will increase pressure on Disney and Netflix to compete and keep prices competitive. <\/p>\n California, New York and several other states are preparing a lawsuit to block the Paramount deal, sources told Reuters. <\/a><\/p>\n The merger would put both CBS and CNN under the same ownership. It has raised concerns for some CNN employees as editor-in-chief Bari Weiss\u2019s tenure at CBS News has proven controversial. <\/p>\n Weiss, who has no broadcast experience, started her \u201canti-woke\u201d media outlet, The Free Press, in 2021 before it was bought by Paramount for approximately $150 million in cash and Paramount stock. She was hired to lead CBS News by David Ellison after his company bought Paramount Global for $8 billion last year.<\/p>\n Since taking on the role, Weiss has fired 60 Minutes executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. She then hired tech journalist Nick Bilton as executive producer and fired the show\u2019s veteran correspondent Scott Pelley after the pair clashed. <\/p>\n She has also been accused by critics of being too Trump-friendly, and her hiring caused some producers to quit on ideological grounds. <\/p>\n CNN star Anderson Cooper has also reportedly told colleagues he does not want to work with Weiss, The New York Times<\/a> reported. <\/p>\n![\"CNN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CNN-Paula-Reid.png\")
CNN correspondent Paula Reid will leave the network this summer after five years. Her exit comes ahead of Paramount\u2019s acquisition of the network (CNN)<\/p>\n![\"Paramount](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2272991538.jpg\")
Paramount CEO David Ellison has said that CNN\u2019s editorial independence will remain the same after the merger (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Bari](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-10T191500Z_229424381_RC2ZZT9HXG9B_RTRMADP_3_MEDIA-CBS.JPG\")
Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, has drawn controversy since her takeover and since firing several top 60 Minutes correspondents and producers (Reuters)<\/p>\n