CNN's new CEO leaves Twitter, arguing it can 'skew what's really important'

The new boss at CNN's first order of business is logging off.

Chris Licht, incoming CEO of CNN Global, said Monday he's leaving Twitter before starting his role at the network.

"Twitter can be a great journalistic tool, but it can also skew what's really important in the world," Licht tweeted. "I'm logging off & looking forward to working with the incredible team at CNN."

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The decision came after The New York Times recently updated its Twitter policy, with editor Dean Baquet saying a presence on the social media platform will now be "purely optional" for journalists.

"We can rely too much on Twitter as a reporting or feedback tool — which is especially harmful to our journalism when our feeds become echo chambers," Baquet said in a memo, per The Daily Beast. "We can be overly focused on how Twitter will react to our work, to the detriment of our mission and independence. We can make off-the-cuff responses that damage our journalistic reputations."

Baquet added that for those journalists who want to "step away" from Twitter, the Times will "encourage you to meaningfully reduce how much time you're spending on the platform," noting that "for too many of you, your experience of Twitter is shaped by harassment and attacks."

Licht, who served as showrunner of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is taking over as CNN's new boss in May after the departure of Jeff Zucker, who abruptly resigned after admitting to an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. He says his first official day in CNN's office will be May 2 — which will also be "my last day on Twitter."

The New York Times' Edmund Lee noted Monday that "more big news orgs are fleeing Twitter" and — as Tesla CEO Elon Musk seeks to buy the platform — "I suspect it's not just about Elon."