Protesting the Move to a Late-Night News Slot
Jim Acosta, the CNN anchor who publicly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, has left the company. This was due to the decision to move his news program to a late-night time slot.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Acosta announced on the 28th (local time) that he would be leaving CNN, where he had worked for nearly 18 years, after finishing his 10 a.m. news show. He recalled the days when he questioned Cuban dictator Ra?l Castro, saying, "There is never a good time to bow to a tyrant."
He added, "I have always believed that holding power accountable is the mission of the press," and said, "I have always tried to do that at CNN and will continue to do so."
Acosta also urged viewers, "This is my final message. Do not succumb to lies. Do not succumb to fear. Hold on to truth and hope."
According to the U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT), Acosta still had about a year left on his contract with CNN.
CNN released a statement saying that Acosta stood up to authority and defended press freedom during his tenure, expressing gratitude for his dedicated reporting and wishing him the best in his future endeavors.
Upon hearing the news of Acosta's resignation, President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, calling it "good news" and criticizing Acosta as "one of the most vicious and dishonest journalists in media history."
President Donald Trump is signing an executive order at the presidential inauguration event held on the 20th (local time) at the Capital One Arena in Washington. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Earlier, CNN CEO Mark Thompson reportedly demanded on the 16th, just days before the start of Trump's second term, that Acosta move his news program to the late-night slot, known as the "graveyard of ratings." The NYT also reported that Acosta resigned because he could not accept this demand.
President Trump often raised his voice at Acosta or ignored his questions during press conferences, and these interactions were broadcast live. In October 2019, the day after the midterm elections, Trump aggressively insulted the CNN reporter at a White House press conference and subsequently banned him from the premises. Jim Acosta, who frequently clashed with Trump due to his aggressive questioning, challenged the president during the midterm election campaign by questioning his labeling of the caravan (Central American migrants heading to the U.S.) as "invaders," asking, "Don't you think you demonized immigrants?" among other questions.
After a 2018 press conference, the White House suspended Acosta's press credentials, claiming he ignored instructions to hand over the microphone, but reversed the decision after CNN filed a lawsuit.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
