Paula Reid to Exit CNN as Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Looms

Paula Reid, CNN’s chief legal affairs correspondent, is expected to leave the network after declining to renew her contract. Her departure comes as Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, prepares for a $110 billion merger with David Ellison’s Paramount. Sources say Reid raised concerns about the deal and its impact on CNN’s editorial independence.

The merger has sparked uncertainty among CNN staff, with reports of heightened tension in the newsroom and fears that the new ownership could reshape the network’s leadership and digital strategy.