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Brian Stelter Returns to CNN After Dramatic Ousting: ‘Surprise!’
Ousted CNN host Brian Stelter announced he’s coming back to the network after the leadership that fired him in 2022 also exited the network.
“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 communicated in a surprising 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 emphasized that his return, which officially starts Sept. 9, will be different from his previous stint, indicating “because I am different.”
“The media industry has matured, CNN has evolved, and I have changed a lot since I signed off two years ago,” Stelter wrote. “After 20+ years as a news junkie, I changed my habits and tuned out for a bit. I also changed my vantage point, moving from Manhattan to a horse farm near one of Donald Trump’s golf clubs. I experienced the news more like an everyday consumer, and in doing so, I learned a whole lot about the attention economy and the information ecosystem. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned with you.”
Brian Stelter is returning to CNN after his firing from the network two years ago.
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME)
According to Stelter’s announcement, while he’s returning to “Reliable Sources” newsletter, his “Reliable Sources” TV program won’t be revived.
Stelter was terminated by CNN in 2022 by his then-boss Chris Licht, who aimed to minimize spectacle and was tasked by his own bosses at parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to restore CNN’s journalistic credibility by reducing its left-wing partisanship.
During much of his nine-year tenure at CNN, Stelter appeared to be an on-air favorite of Licht’s predecessor, Jeff Zucker, who transitioned the network into an anti-Trump media entity.
Throughout his time as host of the Sunday media-centric program “Reliable Sources,” which frequently criticized Donald Trump before, during, and after his presidency, Stelter often criticized conservative media while steering clear of significant controversies within the legacy media, often defending his liberal colleagues.
This also resulted in years of Stelter being labeled by conservatives as the media’s “janitor.”
Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” program was canceled by CNN in August 2022.
(Screenshot/CNN)
As host of “Reliable Sources,” Stelter supported Russiagate, praised Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus response, and in Oct. 2020 deemed the Hunter Biden laptop story a “manufactured scandal” propagated by the “right-wing media machine.” He even considered disgraced anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti a serious presidential candidate for the 2020 election.
Less than a year after Stelter’s dismissal, Licht was also ousted following reports of internal conflicts during his term and his failure to gain the trust of CNN’s staff, leading to a public rebellion.
After Licht’s departure from CNN in June 2023, Stelter began making guest appearances on the network, sparking speculation about his formal return. A source familiar with Stelter’s bookings told Fox News Digital earlier this year that there were no talks about reinstating him in an official capacity.
Stelter was fired by then-CNN CEO Chris Licht, who was ousted from the network less than a year later.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)
While Stelter was dismissed by Licht, he is being openly welcomed 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. “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.”
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News
