Brian Stelter, one of CNN's most vituperative hosts, will be leaving the network after his media affairs show "Reliable Sources" was canceled, NPR reported.
CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht informed Stelter of the decision Wednesday, NPR reported.
Reportedly, Licht has been attempting to return CNN to its more mainstream and newsgathering roots.
Stelter, along with his colleague, media reporter Oliver Darcy, have been among the network's most partisan talent.
The news comes after new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said CNN will be renewing its focus on journalism, signaling the network could soon return to its straight-news roots of previous decades.
John Malone, the influential shareholder of the merged media company, previously told CNBC that he wanted "real journalists" at the new CNN.
Stelter, 36, who has hosted "Reliable Sources" for nine years, told NPR that he's grateful for the show.
"Reliable Sources" is the longest-running show on CNN, having celebrated its 39th anniversary in March. The show's last edition will be Aug. 21, a CNN spokesman told The New York Times.
During the Trump presidency and after, Stelter and Darcy moved the network's nonpartisan media criticism to one closely aligned to the Democratic Party.
Fox News reported that Stelter typically downplayed or ignored embarrassing stories about liberal media, while focusing on conservative outlets for "disininformation."
On air, Stelter frequently mentioned the Big Lie about Trump's contest of the 2020 election, a slogan that Licht has banned because of its origination with the Democratic Party.
Stelter and Darcy moved from being media critics to focusing their attacks primarily on Trump and media that appeared to be aligned with him, including Fox News, Newsmax, OANN, and other outlets.
The pair were the first to call for the de-platforming of Trump from Twitter, which they successfully accomplished after Trump left office.
In 2021, Stelter and Darcy led efforts to have conservative news channels like Fox News and Newsmax de-platformed from cable systems.
Conservatives called their efforts nothing short of censorship.
"We appreciate his [Stelter's] contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors," the spokesman told the Times.
Stelter has been criticized by ex-President Trump's supporters for his partisan coverage of the former chief executive. The host routinely shares anti-Trump posts on his Twitter feed.
A former Times media reporter, Stelter got his start blogging about cable news as a student.
"Stelter came to CNN from The New York Times as the nation's top media reporter. He departs CNN an impeccable broadcaster," said Amy Entelis, CNN's executive vice president for talent and content development, NPR reported.
"We are proud of what Brian and his team accomplished over the years, and we're confident their impact and influence will long outlive the show."
About the time NPR reported his departure from the network, Stelter tweeted: "I picked a bad day to violate the ABC rule — Always Be Charging. I took the kiddos out sightseeing in midtown Manhattan and my phone's at 2%. [emoji]"
The news about Stelter and "Reliable Sources" came less than a week after veteran legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin revealed that he is parting ways with CNN.
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