Paula Reid leaves CNN to become MS NOW's chief White House reporter
By Priya NairLeadership & Growth Editor, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: damianlopjus / Pixabay
Journalist Paula Reid left CNN and became MS NOW's chief White House reporter on 29 October 2026, after years covering legal affairs and the Justice Department.
What Happened
Paula Reid, a senior American political and legal journalist, has left CNN to become chief White House reporter at MS NOW, the US news network, according to an internal memo from MS NOW's Washington bureau chief, Sudeep Reddy, reported in late October 2026. Her first day in the new role was Thursday, 29 October 2026. Reid joined CNN in 2021 and rose to chief legal affairs correspondent there; before that she spent more than a decade at CBS News, covering the Justice Department and the White House. Her move comes as MS NOW, CNN and Politico have widened a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of restricting reporters' access to presidential events.
Key Facts
- New role: chief White House reporter at MS NOW, starting Thursday, 29 October 2026.
- The appointment was announced in an internal memo by Sudeep Reddy, MS NOW's Washington bureau chief.
- At CNN since 2021: rose from senior legal affairs correspondent to chief legal affairs correspondent.
- Earlier career: more than ten years at CBS News, covering the Justice Department and the White House.
- Reports say she left CNN amid uncertainty about the network's future under its new corporate parent, Skydance.
- She joins a White House team that includes senior White House reporter Vaughn Hillyard and reporters Laura Barrón-López, Akayla Gardner and Jake Traylor.
- MS NOW, CNN and Politico have expanded a federal lawsuit accusing the administration of continuing to restrict their access to presidential events.
Why It Matters
The chief White House reporter is one of the most senior and visible jobs in American political journalism. The person in the role leads a network's daily coverage of the president, asks questions at briefings and events, and shapes how millions of viewers understand decisions made in the White House. Reid's appointment puts a woman with deep legal expertise at the front of MS NOW's coverage of the White House.
Her career path is a lesson in how specialist knowledge can lead to top jobs. Reid built her reputation covering the Justice Department and legal battles, areas where accuracy and an understanding of court procedure matter. That background is an asset on the White House beat, where presidential decisions and court cases often meet.
The move also reflects wider change in the US news industry. Reports link her departure from CNN to uncertainty over the network's direction under new corporate ownership. For MS NOW, hiring an experienced name for its Washington team signals its ambitions in political news.
The timing adds weight. Reid takes up the post while her new employer is in a legal fight over access to the president. MS NOW, CNN and Politico have expanded their federal lawsuit, saying the administration continues to limit their reporters' access to presidential events. For the journalists covering the White House, that dispute affects how they can do their jobs day to day.
For women in journalism anywhere, including in India, her path shows one route to the top: expertise built over many years on demanding beats such as courts and law enforcement.
Paula Reid's career at a glance Period | Role More than 10 years | CBS News, covering the Justice Department and the White House From 2021 | CNN, senior and later chief legal affairs correspondent From 29 October 2026 | MS NOW, chief White House reporter
Impact
Short-term: Reid leads MS NOW's White House coverage in the week of the US midterm elections and through a period of legal fights over press access.
Long-term: Her appointment strengthens MS NOW's Washington team and adds to the visibility of women in the most senior political reporting jobs.
Who is affected: MS NOW and CNN viewers, journalists covering the White House, the networks involved in the press access lawsuit, and women building careers in political journalism.
Key Takeaway
Paula Reid moved from CNN to become MS NOW's chief White House reporter on 29 October 2026, bringing years of legal and Justice Department reporting to one of journalism's top political jobs.
Questions and Answers
Who is Paula Reid and what is her new job?
Paula Reid is an American journalist who was CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent. On 29 October 2026 she became chief White House reporter at MS NOW.
Why did Paula Reid leave CNN?
Reports say she left amid uncertainty about CNN's future under its new corporate parent, Skydance. She has not been reported as giving a detailed public reason.
What did Paula Reid do before CNN?
She spent more than a decade at CBS News, covering the Justice Department and the White House, before joining CNN in 2021.
What is the press access lawsuit mentioned with her move?
MS NOW, CNN and Politico have expanded a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of continuing to restrict their reporters' access to presidential events.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Priya Nair, Leadership & Growth EditorCovers Leadership & Growth and more for Peepals Shakti. All stories by Priya Nair
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Priya Nair is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
