CNN Host Leaves Network After 16 Years

As CNN struggles to get their ratings up, staples of their network are deciding to jump ship before it’s too late. On Friday, Poppy Harlow, the esteemed CNN anchor who has anchored “CNN This Morning,” announced her decision to leave the network.

“The nearly two decades since have been a gift,” Harlow wrote in an email to colleagues according to CNN. “I have been inspired by you and learned so much from you – who are (and will remain) dear friends.”

“I grew up here: as a journalist and as a person. I was allowed to stumble, to falter, and then to try again with the support and care of this CNN family. This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions,” Harlow wrote.

Mark Thompson, CNN’s chief executive, called Harlow a “unique talent who combines formidable reporting and interviewing prowess with a human touch that audiences have always responded to. She’s been a wonderful colleague at CNN, and we know she will have much success in her future endeavors.”

Harlow has covered significant national and international news. She graduated from Columbia University, where she earned a degree in Political Science and Middle Eastern studies. Her career in journalism began at CBS MarketWatch and then Forbes.com, where she produced and reported on financial news.

Poppy Harlow in 2022. Jeremy Freeman, via CNN

Harlow joined CNN in 2008 and was involved in various roles since then, including serving as a correspondent for CNNMoney.com and anchoring CNN Newsroom. Harlow has received recognition for her work, including a Gracie Award for best online investigative program or feature and SABEW’s Best in Business award. Harlow is also known for her podcast “Boss Files with Poppy Harlow,” where she interviews business leaders and other influential figures about their personal and professional journeys.

Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content, also lauded Harlow in a statement. “Poppy leaves CNN after more than 16 memorable years, thousands of hours in the anchor chair and hundreds of reports from the field. Poppy is a brilliant journalist who sets the standard for reporting with compassion and humanity, and we will miss her,” Entelis remarked.

In her email to colleagues, Harlow shared her plans for the immediate future, which include devoting more time to her family. “For now, my plan is to walk our children to school and pick them up (hopefully they won’t get sick of me!), and to support the evolution of journalism in every way I can, while preserving the human(ity) in it,” Harlow wrote.

“I’m excited for what is ahead – and I will be rooting for CNN always.”

Thompson, who succeeded Licht, revealed in February his plan to revamp CNN’s morning schedule. The show “CNN This Morning” shifted its broadcast time and relocated to Washington, D.C., with Kasie Hunt at the helm. The reshuffling resulted in Harlow losing her anchor position. Despite negotiations between CNN and Harlow, she chose to depart from the network.