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Will CNN dumping of Brian Stelter bring network back to the middle?: Concha

By Joe Concha

Published August 23, 2022

Fox News
Will CNN dropping of Brian Stelter bring network back towards the middle?: Concha Video

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 CNN

Brian Stelter hosted his final "Reliable Sources" Sunday on CNN.  (Screenshot/CNN/ReliableSources)

BRIAN STELTER REMAINS DEFIANT AS FINAL 'RELIABLE SOURCES' DOUBLES DOWN ON WHAT CRITICS SAY GOT IT CANCELED

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.

CNN's Brian Stelter

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)

LIBERAL MEDIA PUNDITS PRAISE BRIAN STELTER AFTER FINAL SHOW ON CNN: ‘LIKE A MOUNTAIN GUIDE IN AN AVALANCHE’

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.

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Joe Concha is a FOX News contributor who joined the network in 2020. The author of several books, his latest is, "The Greatest Comeback Ever: Inside Trump's Big Beautiful Campaign" (Broadside Books, April 29, 2025).

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