Sara Fischer: CNN poaches WaPo vet Philip Rucker

January 21, 2025

Source: Axios

This piece is by WWSG exclusive thought leader, Sara Fischer.

CNN will announce on Tuesday that Philip Rucker, the Washington Post’s national editor, is joining the company as senior vice president of editorial strategy and news, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It’s a high-profile departure for the Post, which has seen a deluge of defections in the past few weeks amid frustration with leadership.

Rucker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, has been with the paper for two decades. He was one of the top chroniclers of President Trump’s first term. He co-authored two No. 1 New York Times bestselling books about the president in 2020 and 2021.

Zoom in: In his new role, Rucker will spearhead the network’s coverage of the second Trump administration.

He will help manage newsgathering efforts around politics while also overseeing the use of that reporting across all of CNN’s platforms, including its digital products.
“I look forward to collaborating with the world-class journalists at CNN to help chart a new era of digital transformation,” Rucker said in a statement. “Together we will cover the fast-paced stories that lie ahead with authority, curiosity, precision and creativity.”
Rucker will be based out of CNN’s Washington bureau. He starts on Feb. 10.

The big picture: Rucker joins CNN at a critical time for the network. CNN took an oppositional approach toward coverage of Donald Trump during his first presidency. Under new leadership, the network has tried to take a more tempered approach to its political coverage.

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