“BREAKING: Top CNN host is out as ratings collapse,” reads the dramatic text in a recent Facebook post.
The March 21 post includes a photo featuring CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, but neither has left the network. The photo also shows Univision anchor Ilia Calderón, who did not work at CNN.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
A reverse-image search reveals the image is from March 2020, when Bash, Tapper and Calderón co-moderated the Democratic presidential primary debate.
A blog post linked in the Facebook post’s comments is newer, but certainly not breaking news.
“Longtime CNN anchor departs network as it continues to struggle in ratings,” the July 2023 headline says.
It refers to the announcement that month that CNN anchor and chief business correspondent Christine Romans was leaving the network after 24 years.
News coverage did not connect her exit to network ratings.
We rate this post False.
This fact check was originally published by PolitiFact, which is part of the Poynter Institute. See the sources for this fact check here.
