Brian Stelter

MRC Study: After Hyping Christie’s ‘Bridgegate,’ CNN Buries Andrew Cuomo’s Scandal
By Curtis Houck | August 15, 2014 | 9:47 AM EDT

It has been over three weeks since The New York Times published a front-page investigation unmasking the actions of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) shuttering an anti-corruption commission. In reaction, the U.S. Attorney has now begun investigating Cuomo’s administration for possible “witness tampering and obstruction of justice,” according to The New York Post.

Despite these serious allegations, CNN has all but ignored the story. The cable news outlet completely ignored the Cuomo scandal until it aired a single tease and report on August 7 during The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. 

CNN's Pereira, Stelter Cheer Left-Wing Activists That Pushed Out Commencement Speakers
By Matthew Balan | May 19, 2014 | 5:16 PM EDT

On Monday's This Hour, CNN's Michaela Pereira acted as an apologist for the student and/or faculty-led protests in recent weeks that forced out several high-profile speakers from participating in commencement ceremonies: "Isn't it a rite of passage to question authority and to question things and protest things in college? Isn't that what those college years are about – to take a stand?"

Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter also specifically lauded the Haverford College students whose protest led to the withdrawal of their commencement speaker: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

CNN’s Brian Stelter to ABC’s Robin Roberts: Will Michael Sam Be a ‘Beacon For Others?’
By Jeffrey Meyer | May 18, 2014 | 4:55 PM EDT

ABC’s Robin Roberts sat down with CNN’s Brian Stelter, host of Reliable Sources, to discuss her newest book “Everybody's Got Something” and was treated to softball question after softball question. 

Appearing in an interview that aired on Sunday, May 18, Stelter asked Roberts “Michael Sam talks about thinking that maybe he will be a beacon for others. Do you think about it in the same way?” [See video below.]  

CNN’s Stelter: CBS Was 'Overcompensating' on Benghazi, ‘Appeal to Conservatives’ ‘Led to Disaster’
By Jeffrey Meyer | May 12, 2014 | 4:08 PM EDT

CBS News has come under fire for a supposed conflict of interest between its president David Rhodes and his Brother Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor and CNN’s Reliable Sources did its best to dismiss the issue.

Appearing on Sunday, May 11, CNN host Brian Stelter argued that “CBS has at times been so aggressive covering Benghazi that I've had sources describe it to me as overcompensating. In other words, the network perceived to have gone out of its way to pursue the story to inoculate itself against charges of a brotherly conflict of interest.” [See video below.] 

CNN Host Brian Stelter Grilled Attkisson, But Treated Leftist Glenn Greenwald Like a Hero
By Tim Graham | April 22, 2014 | 11:36 AM EDT

In the textbooks, journalists are supposed to be watchdogs of government – not just government of one party, but both parties. If Edward Snowden’s massive leaks on government surveillance programs (approved by presidents of both parties) win a Pulitzer Prize for  “Public Service,” why isn’t exposing President Obama’s scandals like Benghazi and IRS harassment hailed as a public service?

This isn’t just an issue for liberal judges of the Pulitzers and other journalism prizes, but for CNN Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter, who on Easter Sunday grilled Sharyl Attkisson about her alleged failures and "conservative bias," and then turned around and treated Pulitzer-winning Glenn Greenwald like he was God’s gift to journalism. David Gregory was "infamous" for challenging his propriety: 

Robert Redford To CNN: GOP's Lust to 'Destroy the Motives' of Obama Shows We Have a 'Diseased System'
By Tim Graham | January 28, 2014 | 8:12 AM EST

Leftist actor-director Robert Redford laid into Republicans in a Sunday interview on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.” Try not to notice this journalism show began with a Justin Bieber segment and included a Redford interview. Host Brian Stelter first asked how Redford felt about Obama. "I think he's a good human being. That's, I think, clear," Redford replied. "He's a humanitarian at heart, and that's good. He's trying to manage an extremely difficult situation. I mean, it's -- it's almost too much for one person."

He wouldn't say the same for the GOP: “When you have one half whose only motive is to destroy the motives of the president of the United States, then you have a diseased system. And I don't think that's his fault. I think it just makes his job tougher.” Redford lamely claimed there was bipartisanship in getting to “truth” in Watergate: [See video after jump.]

Kathy Griffin Asks CNN Host 'Have You Ever Spooned With Candy Crowley?'
By Noel Sheppard | December 29, 2013 | 4:14 PM EST

THIS is CNN!

On Sunday's Reliable Sources, vulgar comedienne Kathy Griffin - who will once again be co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve special this year despite kissing Anderson Cooper's crotch on air last year! - actually asked new host Brian Stelter, "Have you ever spooned with Candy Crowley?...You might get a better time slot" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CNN's Stelter: Megyn Kelly Mightn't Have Insisted Santa Was White If Fox Had More Black Viewers
By Noel Sheppard | December 15, 2013 | 5:13 PM EST

My nomination for the dumbest comment of the week by a television host on a news channel goes to CNN's Brian Stelter.

While talking to Slate's Aisha Harris about the reaction to her article calling for Santa Claus to be a penguin, the new Reliable Sources host wondered if Megyn Kelly wouldn't have been so adamant about Santa being white if Fox News had more black viewers (video follows with transcript and commentary):

NPR TV Critic Says MSNBC's a 'Great Place' for Obama to Launch Attacks on Divisive News Networks
By Tim Graham | December 10, 2013 | 3:22 PM EST

On CNN’s “Reliable Sources” on Sunday, new host Brian Stelter turned to President Obama the press critic. At the end of his cakewalk “Hardball” interview last week, Obama called out the media for being divisive. “The American people are good and they are decent. And yes, we get very divided partly because our politics and our media specifically tries to divide them and splinter them.”

Stelter asked a decent question about whether that was an odd statement to make on divisive MSNBC. NPR television critic Eric Deggans shot that down, insisting MSNBC was a “great place” to attack cable news and plugged his book "Race Baiter" on the subject:

CNN Nabs Brian Stelter for 'Reliable Sources'
By Tim Graham | November 12, 2013 | 3:05 PM EST

MSNBC isn’t the only network with an under-30 host. CNN has hired 28-year-old New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter to host its Sunday media show Reliable Sources. Stelter has guest-hosted a few times already since longtime host Howard Kurtz left for Fox News.

Earlier this year, Stelter's book Top of the Morning came out, about the network morning shows, including a takedown of the "general meanness" on the set of NBC's Today. Time's James Poniewozik adds he'll be leaving the Times, not working at both media outlets:

CNN Discusses Alec Baldwin Getting MSNBC Show Without Mentioning Recent Homophobic Rant
By Noel Sheppard | August 11, 2013 | 5:52 PM EDT

CNN's Reliable Sources on Sunday discussed Alec Baldwin supposedly getting his own show on MSNBC.

For some reason, guest host Brian Stelter of the New York Times as well as his panelists chose not to mention Baldwin's recent homophobic rant despite it occurring just six weeks ago (video follows with transcript and commentary):

NYT’s Stelter Raises Grade He Gives CNN's Zucker Two Days Before Hosting Reliable Sources
By Noel Sheppard | August 10, 2013 | 10:25 AM EDT

On April 25, New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter gave new CNN boss Jeff Zucker a “C” for his performance turning the ailing network around.

On August 9, two days before he is hosting CNN’s Reliable Sources, Stelter raised Zucker’s grade: