(DailyEmailNews.com) – After a major network shakeup saw him getting booted more than two years ago, journalist Brian Stelter is making a comeback to CNN.
“Yes, really,” Stelter recently confirmed when announcing his new role as the lead author for CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter, a project he originally launched in 2015.
Back in August 2022, Stelter was let go after then-CEO Chris Licht discontinued the “Reliable Sources” TV program.
Stelter hosted the program since 2013, and it was the longest-running show on CNN at the time.
“But this is not going to be a ‘Back to the Future’ remake,” Stelter penned in the newsletter.
“The media industry has matured, CNN has evolved, and I have changed a lot since I signed off two years ago,” he claimed.
“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,” Stelter added.
Stelter’s return comes right after former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy left to start his own media newsletter.
In his revitalized role as chief media analyst, Stelter will not only appear on air but also manage digital content and lead the newsletter, promising it will be “different, because I am different.”
After his firing, Stelter revisited his approach to news and moved from Manhattan to a horse farm near one of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s golf clubs.
“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,” he shared. “I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned with you.”
During his two-year break, Stelter, who is married to NY1 anchor Jamie Stelter, continued to write for various outlets and even made occasional appearances on CNN.
His exit was part of Licht’s broader strategy to reposition CNN as a more politically neutral platform after the network was criticized for its left-leaning coverage during the Trump administration.
Though CNN saw high ratings during Trump’s term, its viewership declined after his presidency.
Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” faced particularly low ratings before his departure.
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