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CNN Fires News Anchor – Roland Martin Reacts

Posted byBy Monique Davis | Published on: CommentsComments (12)

CNN has sent Roland Martin packing. The network news giant has chosen not to renew Martin’s contract, making his last air date with the CNN April 6. Martin confirmed his apparent firing on his Twitter account, tweeting: ““Last day at @cnn is April 6.” When asked by a Twitter follower why he thought his contract was not picked up by the news network, Martin responded, “New boss wants his own peeps.”

That new boss is new CNN president Jeff Zucker. He started in January and since then he has shaken up the news line-up. It seems that Martin’s ousting isn’t the only big change at the network. Soledad O’Brien, a staple at CNN for years, was bounced from her morning show “Starting Point, and replaced by Chris Cuomo. As of yet, a new female anchor has not been named to replace O’Brien. Rumor has it that Erin Burnett may assume the vacant morning news anchor spot.

Mr. Martin has been with CNN since 2007, but had some recent public debacles courtesy of Twitter. He was suspended last year after posting some “regrettable and offensive” tweets. In fact, a firestorm erupted from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation over the context of his tweets. Throughout the 2012 Presidential election season and beyond, Roland’s presence has noticeably decreased at the network.

Perhaps the newest moves at CNN are as a result of Fox News claiming the number one rank in news networks. With FOX News obvious conservative slant, and MSNBC’s obvious left leaning news coverage, CNN seems to be suffering a crisis of identity. If their news coverage of the Steubenville rape case, where female news anchors publicly lamented the convicted rapists loss of a bright future on air, is any indication of the way their overhaul is headed, the network will be lag behind for a very long time.

Another point about these changes worth noting is that many minority anchors are being replaced with non-minority anchors. With O’Brien and Martin out, some are wondering if Fredericka Whitfield and Don Lemon will survive Zucker’s overhaul to the network.

With these changes at CNN, what network will you be watching to get your news?

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