Former CNN host Brian Stelter has announced his return to the network after the leadership team that let him go in 2022 was also dismissed.
“I am thrilled to share that I am returning as the lead author of CNN’s Reliable Sources newsletter, the digest I founded in 2015,” Stelter wrote in a “surprise” message to “Reliable Sources” readers on Tuesday. “I’m returning to CNN in a brand new role as Chief Media Analyst, which means I’ll be appearing on air, developing digital content, and helming this newsletter.”
Stelter’s return to CNN, starting on September 9, marks a new chapter for him, noting that his role “won’t be the same as his previous stint at the network,” insisting “because I am different.”
In his announcement, Stelter hinted that while he’s coming back to work on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter, his “Reliable Sources” TV show will not be making a comeback.
I'm returning to @CNN in a brand new role as Chief Media Analyst. I'll be appearing on TV, developing digital content, and once again helming the Reliable Sources newsletter.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 3, 2024
Stelter was fired from CNN in 2022 by then-network chief Chris Licht, who was “determined to tamp down spectacle” and tasked by Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, to restore the network’s credibility by reducing its perceived partisan stance.
During most of his nine-year tenure at CNN, Stelter was considered a close ally of Chris Licht’s predecessor, Jeff Zucker, who transformed the network into a strong anti-Trump platform. Stelter championed Zucker’s mission as the host of “Reliable Sources,” a Sunday program focused on media analysis, which frequently criticized Donald Trump before, during, and after his presidency. He also regularly targeted conservative media while often sidestepping major controversies involving mainstream outlets, even defending his colleagues in liberal media.
The sheer amount of talent at CNN covering media, tech, pop culture, infowars is stunning. @Hadas_Gold, @passantino, @liam_a_reilly, @EWagmeister, @LisaFranceCNN, @TheSandraG, @AlliRosenbloom, @DDale8, @Donie, @MarshallCohen, @claresduffy, @jonsarlin – just to name a few!
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 3, 2024
This approach led conservatives, and just about everyone else, to mock Stelter as the media’s “janitor” for his perceived bias.
As the host of “Reliable Sources,” Stelter was known for promoting stories like Russiagate, praising Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story in October 2020 as a “manufactured scandal” by the “right-wing media machine.” Stelter even touted anti-Trump attorney Michael Avenatti as a “serious” contender for the presidency during the 2020 election cycle.
October, 2020. Brian Stelter does an entire segment on how a fake news story is crafted.
"Manufacturing a storyline." From Russia to TV, by Brian Stelter.
The story that Stelter was calling fake? The Hunter Biden laptop story.😂 pic.twitter.com/f1H1D3sD9o
— MAZE (@mazemoore) September 4, 2024
Less than a year after Stelter was fired, Licht was also ousted amidst reports of internal conflicts and his inability to gain the trust of CNN’s staff, leading to a public revolt.
Following Licht’s departure in June 2023, Stelter made guest appearances on CNN, sparking rumors about his potential return to the network. A source close to Stelter’s bookings had previously told Fox News Digital that there were no talks of bringing him back in an official role.
Brian Stelter moderating a panel at the World Economic Forum on the “Clear & Present Danger of Disinformation” is pure gold
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) January 17, 2023
However, while Stelter was let go by Licht, he is being welcomed back with open arms by CNN’s current CEO, Mark Thompson.
“I’m very happy to welcome Brian back to CNN in this new role,” Thompson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Brian is one of the best global experts in media commentary, and as the founder of the Reliable Sources newsletter, he is the perfect choice to lead Reliable Sources into its next chapter.”
