Will CNN dropping of Brian Stelter bring network back towards the middle?: Concha
Fox News contributor Joe Concha discussed the end of ‘Reliable Sources’ and how new-president Chris Licht’s plans could help or hinder the company.
This article is adapted from Joe Concha's video commentary.
It was one of the more predictable things you'll see in an otherwise unpredictable media world. CNN's chief media correspondent Brian Stelter was booted from the network last week after nine years there.
He had never worked in television before or hosted a show in any capacity, but the network gave him "Reliable Sources" anyway, which is now canceled.
As the years went by, Stelter became more and more partisan, with some reports saying he was simply serving as a mouthpiece for his now former boss, Jeff Zucker.
On the ironically titled program "Reliable Sources," most guests simply echoed the worldview of its host, while Stelter's kid gloves treatment of guests hostile to anyone remotely on the right, and especially former President Trump, were the stuff of legend.
Brian Stelter hosted his final "Reliable Sources" Sunday on CNN. (Screenshot/CNN/ReliableSources)
So now the smart money is he’ll be off to MSNBC or Media Matters or the New York Times – three condescending and partisan institutions that would be a perfect fit.
But what does this mean overall for CNN?
On one hand, this could mean they are actually pivoting towards more journalism – less towards activism and back to the relative middle.
Brian Stelter, former Chief Media Correspondent for CNN, speaks onstage during 'Discovery Gets Cooking' at Vanity Fair's 6th Annual New Establishment Summit at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on October 22, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair) (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
But, on the other hand, Chris Licht, CNN’s new president, was the executive producer for Stephen Colbert’s show, and before that MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
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So it all depends on who he hires to backfill the Stelters and Jeffrey Toobins of the world.