NYT: CNN on Thursday said it had hired Jake Tapper, the senior White House correspondent for ABC News, amid talk of new programming for the cable news channel.
Mr. Tapper, widely seen as one of the most aggressive reporters in the nation’s capital, will anchor an afternoon program for the channel and will be its chief Washington correspondent. The new program will start sometime next year.
Just this week Jake Tapper pressed both the president and the press secretary for clear answers to recent issues. One can only hope this style of hard hitting journalism is a signal of improvement for the flailing news channel.
December 19: Jake Tapper blasted Barack Obama today at his press conference announcing a new gun control committee. Tapper pointed out that this wasn’t the first mass slaughter under his watch, “Where’ve you been?” Watch a clearly irritated president respond.
December 20: Carney dodges on accountability for Benghazi.
From the Hollywood Reporter: Tapper has been ABC’s chief White House correspondent since the 2008 election and was assigned to the Obama campaign during the 2012 presidential election. He also this year published his third book; The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor.
ABC News president Ben Sherwood broke the news of Tapper’s departure Thursday in an email to staffers announcing the promotion of Jonathan Karl as ABC’s new chief White House correspondent.
“For years, Jake has set the pace for the White House press corps,” wrote Sherwood. “A ferocious reporter – and now a best-selling author – he has built a reputation as one of the most prolific and multi-talented journalists on the beat, scoring scoop after scoop.”