Kara Swisher Dismisses Rumors of Departure from CNN Amid Ownership Speculation
Tech reporter Kara Swisher has refuted claims that her impending exit from CNN is tied to personal relationships, asserting her decision is based on concerns about the network's potential new ownership.
CNN tech reporter Kara Swisher has pushed back against a report suggesting her potential departure from the network is linked to personal rivalries, particularly concerning her ex-partner and the wife of that ex-partner, who is rumored to be in line for a significant role at CNN. The report from Page Six implied that Swisher's previous threats to leave CNN were fueled by an unwillingness to work under CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who is married to Swisher's ex, Nellie Bowles.
Swisher, 63, publicly criticized Page Six for what she described as an attempt to create a "girl on girl action" narrative and a "lesbian cat fight." She stated that her long-held intention to leave CNN is solely due to a lack of confidence in the network's potential new owners, parent company Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison. "As exciting as girl on girl action is for you to gin up, I have been saying for a long time now that I would depart CNN if the deal goes through, due to my lack of confidence in the owners as decent media stewards & not whatever minion they decide to install," Swisher wrote in response to the report. "Please try to keep up as hard as that is for you."
Swisher's contract with CNN is set to expire at the end of December. She reiterated her stance on her podcast, Pivot, stating, "I just can’t. F**k these guys! I don’t want to work for them. I just don’t." She expressed a preference for working for Rupert Murdoch over the Ellisons, noting that the Murdochs own Page Six.
The consolidation of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which would bring CNN under Ellison's control, has advanced following a settlement with state attorneys general. This deal, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, aims to address concerns about concentrated media power and includes provisions for maintaining the editorial independence of CNN and CBS News. However, Swisher has voiced ongoing concerns about the Ellisons' stewardship of media properties.
David Ellison, 43, acquired the center-right news site Free Press, which Swisher and Bowles co-founded, for $150 million shortly after his company, Skydance, merged with Paramount. He appointed Weiss as chief of CBS News as one of his initial actions. Reports have indicated that some journalists have departed CBS News following Weiss's appointment, with some sources citing dissatisfaction with the new leadership. Anderson Cooper was also reported to have left 60 Minutes in May due to concerns about the direction of the show under Weiss.
Larry Ellison, David's father, is a noted GOP donor, and the Ellisons have reportedly maintained a relationship with the Trump administration. Swisher stated her intention to leave CNN for months, citing her belief that the Ellisons are "terrible media owners."