The Real Reason Brooke Baldwin Quit Her CNN Anchor Job

Journalist and anchor Brooke Baldwin shocked her loyal viewers when she announced on February 16, 2021 that she is leaving her longtime position at CNN in April. As reported by Deadline, Baldwin has worked at CNN since 2008 as a freelance reporter. In her resignation statement, she acknowledged that though she initially only scored a temporary position with the news channel, she had greater hopes of eventually transitioning into a full-time correspondent position. And that she did! Baldwin shared a transcript of her full on-air resignation statement on Instagram. In it, she explained, "I wanted to be part of the best of the best in cable news and journalism, and, as a native Atlantan, this would be my hometown dream. Little did I know, I would not only go on to fulfill that dream, I would flourish in this environment and land my own two-hour show in the afternoon at the age of 31." During her time with CNN, Baldwin won a prestigious Peabody award and went on to create and host her own digital series, American Woman, a series "devoted to stories of women who are breaking conventions." But why would Baldwin voluntarily choose to leave what she referred to as her "dream" job? Baldwin explained in her resignation statement that although she currently has no new job waiting in the wings for her, she does have plans to publish her very own book, Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power, in April 2021. But even with a book on the horizon, Baldwin admitted that she is experiencing feelings of vulnerability. During her 13-year run at CNN, Brooke Baldwin became a familiar face as she covered everything from terrorism and environmental disasters to politics and the royal family. When the host of American Woman expressed gratitude for her show's team, the CNN family and fans who have been with her every step of the way in a farewell post, people were quick to return the favor. One user wrote, "Devastated to hear that BrookeBaldwin is leaving CNN in April. I've watched & loved her for years." While another fan posted, "Working from home won't be the same [without Brooke Baldwin]." Likewise, Baldwin's colleagues didn't waste any time hopping on social media to share their well-wishes. Inside Politics Sunday anchor Abby Phillip posted, "[Brooke Baldwin is] the heart of CNN – an amazing colleague and an even better journalist." CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond wrote, "Brooke is one of the nicest colleagues I've gotten to work with at CNN. We'll miss you." Baldwin announced her surprise resignation with a nod to her future plans, saying, "The next chapter of my life will be focused on what I love the most about my work – amplifying the lives of extraordinary Americans and putting my passion for storytelling to good use." She added that she will also be taking the time to publish and promote her first book. Promoting a book is undoubtedly a full-time job, and "storytelling" seems like a natural next step for someone who has created and hosted a digital series highlighting stories of trailblazing women, but is this the real reason behind Baldwin's decision to step down from CNN? In October 2020, Baldwin marked her 10-year anniversary as an anchor with an Instagram post that revealed "political maestro" Jake Tapper would be taking over her hour in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. She wrote, in part, "Sitting in that seat live on CNN every afternoon has been and still is an absolute privilege. I’m a marker of major moments and this day matters to me every year — and I owe you all a massive THANK YOU. [...] Wish I was with you, but I’ll see ya on the flip side of the election." According to The Wrap, Baldwin told one Instagram user who asked why she would take time off at such a critical moment that the decision to do so was not her choice. She didn't elaborate, but perhaps there is more to her CNN exit than we realize? No doubt fans and longtime viewers are wishing Baldwin well either way. #Journalist #Anchor #CNN