Time is a flat circle, especially this week for Brian Stelter.
The former CNN anchor announced he would be returning to the network and his “Reliable Sources” newsletter — two months after his successor Oliver Darcy left the network.
Stelter something dismissed in 2022 during the ill-fated era of CEO Chris Leitch at the network, as part of a purge of people known for their criticism of Donald Trump and other Republicans. Stelter then went on to write a book focusing on Fox News and the 2020 election, later taking a job Vanity Fair Special Correspondent.
He announced his return, characteristically, via a message to the “Reliable Sources” email list.
“The media industry has matured, CNN has evolved, and I’ve changed a lot since I signed on two years ago,” Stelter wrote. “I loved my old life as a Sunday morning show anchor but, to borrow some language from my video game blogger days, I’m done with that level of play. Time for new levels, new challenges.
It begins on September 9, the day before the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
“I am very pleased to welcome Brian back to CNN in this new role,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement. “Brian is one of the best global experts in media commentary, and as the founder of the Trusted Source Newsletter, he is the perfect choice to lead Trusted Sources into its next chapter.”
The news comes less than a month after Darcy, who worked under Stelter for years before taking the helm of the newsletter in 2022, opted to leave CNN. launch Its subscription-only newsletter, Status. The launch is complete with that Splashy New York Times profile Which drew him as “CNN’s media chronicler” who “strikes in his own way.” (Darcy did not respond to a request for comment, but Stelter said in his Tuesday email that he believes their two products will “complement each other wonderfully.”)
CNN confirmed it approached the former anchor with the lofty new title of “chief media analyst” soon after Darcy’s departure, starting a sprint to pull it all together before the public deadline for the network’s fall relaunch. In his email Tuesday, Stelter promised he would “reimagine reliable sources Digest,” suggesting a possible redesign to separate it from Darcy Reliable sources-Like an offer.
Stelter Vocals was part of a contingent of CNN stars who were publicly nixed after Warner Bros. board member Jon Malone. demanded The network “evolves into real journalism” and avoids criticism of right-wing figures. Also met reporter John Harwood dismissedWhen Don Lemon joined the morning show last year before his eventual ouster.
Bringing back Stelter, however, gives the network’s critics an opportunity to claim that CNN is returning to its era of verbal attacks on Republicans. Stelter made many enemies at Fox News—Sean Hannity Repeatedly described it As “Humpty Dumpty”, Greg Gutfeld often tried to make him a joke. Trump when Stelter was fired suggested He should “rest in peace!”
But CNN’s restructuring of the star media reporter suggests that this kind of push means less than what the company did during the Licht era, especially as it undergoes its own reinvention.
The network plans to offer its first digital subscription product by the end of the year, and Stelter’s revamp Reliable sources-An established brand with known volume at the helm – could be part of such an offer.
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