Brian Stelter is making a comeback to CNN after leaving two years ago.
Stelter, who stepped away in August 2022 following the end of his show Reliable Sources, shared on Tuesday that he will return as the chief media analyst at CNN.
“The media industry has matured, CNN has evolved, and I have changed a lot since I signed off two years ago,” What's old is new again!Stelter wrote to subscribers of CNN’s Reliable Sources newsletter, which he started back in 2015. “I loved my old life as the anchor of a Sunday morning show but, to borrow some lingo from my video game blogger days, I finished that level of the game. Time for new levels, new challenges. 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. It will be different, because I am different.” He admitted that getting fired was unexpectedly beneficial: “I always scoffed at people who said ‘getting fired was the best thing that’s ever happened to me’ — until, well, it happened to me,” Stelter continued. “After 20-plus years as a news junkie, I changed my habits and tuned out for a bit… 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.” Fans might feel excited about his return because it means fresh insights and perspectives are coming our way. Though Stelter hasn’t revealed when he’ll first appear on-camera again, he did confirm he would resume writing the Reliable Sources newsletter starting Monday, Sept. 9. Oliver Darcy had taken over the newsletter after Stelter’s departure but has also since left CNN. This announcement comes almost two years after Stelter’s original departure from CNN and his show’s cancellation. In his final episode on August 21 that year, Stelter warned about ongoing threats to media and democracy: “I know it’s not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue,” he said at the time. “It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues. It’s required. It’s patriotic. We must make sure we don’t give platforms to those who are lying to our faces. But we also must make sure we are representing the full spectrum of debate and representing what is going on in this country and this world.” Are you excited about Stelter’s return to CNN? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
