ABC News Correspondent Terry Moran’s contract was not renewed following his now-deleted post on X in which he called Trump Chief of Staff Stephen Miller a “world-class hater.” While many on social media are posting support for Moran, calling his post “the truth”, there are some very good reasons why this controversial decision by ABC News makes sense.
First, it’s essential to understand Moran’s role. He was not the host of a political talk show or a panelist on CNN. He was a Senior News Correspondent for ABC News. As a respected journalist, his primary role is to report news stories within the established policies and practices of ABC News. Name calling and personal attackes are clear policy violations. Secondly, this incident speaks to the bigger and broader issues facing news organizations all over the world. The quest for online engagement has created a troubling trend of hot takes and opinions by self-described jounalists everywhere.
These practices are gutting public trust in news media and blurring the thin lines between opinion and journalism.
While Moran’s comments may very well be true, it’s not the place and or the platform for personal opinions and I am pretty sure Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow would agree.
Rich Dubek is the President of the Dubek Media Group, which is based in Tempe, Arizona. DMG specializes in media training and on-camera coaching, PR, and video storytelling.