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There’s something suspicious about Jim Acosta‘s abrupt exit from CNN. For a veteran journalist who has dedicated nearly 20 years of hard work to the network, it does not feel right for him to be let go just because a supposed shakeup left him with no better time slot than midnight. Adding to this, his parting words were very telling of the power play involved in his shocking departure.
“Hold power to account. It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” he said as he signed off from his program on Tuesday, Jan. 28, after delivering the bombshell news of his exit. As someone who had fiery clashes with the Trump administration during President Donald Trump‘s first term, it’s laughable how they couldn’t wait longer before setting their plans into motion the moment Trump regained his executive power after the inauguration.
Much worse, the apparent lie of blaming this all on a major programming overhaul gives us enough reason to believe who is really behind this orchestrated silencing of a reputable voice in the broadcasting industry. Considering that Acosta’s show, Newsroom, enjoyed favorable ratings in the previous year, it just does not make sense for him to be sidelined from daytime programming and be moved to a near-graveyard shift.
In what seemed like a save-face move, the network issued a statement lauding the 53-year-old journalist: “Jim has had a long, distinguished nearly 20-year career at CNN… We want to thank him for the dedication and commitment he’s brought to his reporting and wish him the very best in the future.”
Clearly, Acosta’s decision to bow out of the network was the most logical thing to do. By not taking a demotion lying down, he is sending a strong message against the bigger bosses, who may be rubbing elbows with the Trump administration days into the MAGA leader’s second term. But now that he is no longer affiliated with CNN, questions arise on where he could be going next.
What’s next for Jim Acosta?
There’s word that Acosta isn’t retreating retiring yet. He is allegedly reloading, with Variety saying that the veteran journalist has a bigger plan in mind. To enjoy his freedom from network constraints, he is eyeing independent ventures that will allow him to continue his hard-hitting reporting.
Citing an insider with knowledge of the situation, the outlet said that Acosta could launch his own digital subscription platform where he could produce exclusive interviews and investigative content. The move is said to be inspired by other high-profile journalists who have also gone solo in response to the troubling landscape of mainstream news media.
For instance, Washington Post veteran columnist Jennifer Rubin left the news organization to focus on a startup publication called The Contrarian. Then, there’s former MSNBC opinion host Mehdi Hasan, who launched Zeteo, and former primetime CNN anchor Don Lemon, who is thriving with a digital interview show.
Acosta must have anticipated this shakeup because the moment he announced his exit, he quickly dropped hints about his next chapter by posting a link to a new Substack-backed outlet via Threads. If so, his departure will not go in vain. In fact, we expect no less than a new outlet for his no-nonsense critiques against Trump that’s going to be more explosive than the last.