Media top headlines July 20
In media news today, reporters hit President Biden for walking back sharp criticism of Facebook, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell made eyebrow-raising remarks about crime in Washington, D.C., and the Washington Post lightheartedly mocked Hunter Biden's art.
CNN’s ratings-challenged "Reliable Sources" with Brian Stelter continued to struggle on Sunday, hitting a new low in the demographic most coveted by advertisers.
Stelter’s show averaged only 109,000 adults age 25-54, which is considered the most crucial category for news programming. It was the smallest audience among the key demo of 2021 for the often-mocked program that claims to focus on the media but typically bashes conservatives at every turn.
JOE ROGAN TORCHES CNN'S BRIAN STELTER: 'HEY MOTHERF---ER, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A JOURNALIST'
CNN’s ratings-challenged "Reliable Sources" with Brian Stelter continued to struggle on Sunday, hitting a new low in the demographic most coveted by advertisers.
"Reliable Sources" didn’t perform particularly well among total viewers, either. Stelter’s program averaged only 765,000 viewers to finish with fewer than 800,000 for the sixth time this year.
It was a rough day for Stelter, who was criticized on his own program when a guest referred to him as "full of sanctimony," "incredibly repetitive," and the reason why many Americans can’t stand the media.
Fox News’ "MediaBuzz," which is Stelter’s direct timeslot competition, averaged 1.2 million total viewers and 287,000 in the key demo to easily top the CNN program in both categories.
Stelter also hit a 2021 low in the category of adults age 18-49, averaging only 73,000 younger viewers.
JEFFREY TOOBIN PARTIES WITH CNN STAFFERS DAYS AFTER AWKWARD RETURN FROM MASTURBATION SCANDAL
CNN has struggled to remain relevant during the Biden era after relying on former President Donald Trump for years. The list of programs that outdrew "Reliable Sources" during the second quarter of 2021 includes everything from MeTV’s old episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" to Food Network’s "Girl Meets Farm."
"Reliable Sources" caught a break on July 11 when Richard Branson’s foray into space occurred during Stelter’s show, resulting in a brief increase in viewership. However, viewers didn’t return when a regular edition of "Reliable Sources" aired a week later. Stelter’s show shed 47 percent of its total viewers and a staggering 60 percent among the crucial demo when comparing the last two editions.