CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ Will Publish in Morning Amid Frenetic Field for Media-on-Media News

As a long-time follower and admirer of Brian Stelter’s work, I must say I am thoroughly excited about his return to CNN’s “Reliable Sources” and its new daily morning newsletter format. Having watched his career blossom from a humble blogger to a respected media analyst at The New York Times and eventually CNN, it is fascinating to see how he continues to adapt and innovate in the ever-changing landscape of journalism.


Those curious about Brian Stelter’s plans for the “Reliable Sources” media newsletter from CNN won’t need to wait as long as they assume.

Effective from Monday, “RS” is set to release daily editions, specifically from Monday to Friday. The upcoming edition, marking his return to CNN after a two-year hiatus, might be published as quickly as half an hour following the publication of this very article.

The morning edition and the new five-day workweek schedule – which previously saw “Reliable Sources” being published evenings from Monday through Thursday – are currently in a testing phase, according to Stelter during a quick chat on Sunday evening while he was working on the newsletter and helping his children prepare for bed. He also mentioned that there’s room to be more proactive about the future, explaining that the revamped newsletter will be shorter and more focused.

Brian Stelter, aged 39, reappears on “Reliable Sources” and CNN at a particularly dynamic time. The presidential election is fast approaching, and the media landscape is in flux. Established broadcasters like Paramount Global and CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery are grappling with the swift shift of their viewers from conventional TV to streaming platforms. Additionally, the financial stability of the journalism that “RS” scrutinizes is more uncertain than it has ever been.

Additionally, there’s a fresh wave of competition for the “RS” viewership. Oliver Darcy, now at the helm following Stelter’s departure instigated by Chris Licht, the former CNN chief after a closely observed tenure at the outlet spanning over a decade, has recently introduced his own independent media roundup titled “Status.” On Sunday night, this new venture published an interview with Rachel Maddow from MSNBC, a figure not typically open to numerous interviews.

Originally known as the “Tonight Show” of media newsletters, “RS” now faces a competitor similar to David Letterman (although not supported by a major media corporation). This newcomer is someone they will need to compete against.

Stelter believes that “the more, the better” when it comes to this new venture called ‘Status’. He’s been checking out the newsletter and thinks ‘RS’ really enhances what Oliver is already accomplishing.

Shifting “RS” to the morning hours will put Stelter and his CNN team, who specialize in media industry coverage, into competition with other newsletters that focus on the same topic. This includes multiple Politico Playbooks, a daily media newsletter from Poynter, and numerous other morning newsletters from players like Ad Age, Axios, and more. Additionally, many people’s email boxes are already overflowing with these daily updates. Some audiences have made space in their “media-on-media” reading for less frequent newsletters from newcomers such as Semafor and Puck.

As an admirer, I’m thrilled to share that “RS” will not be limited to morning assignments, according to Stelter. He further mentioned that we are going to reduce the threshold for sending out special editions. In other words, when media news breaks and our CNN team truly excels, we aim to disseminate that work promptly, regardless of the hour it’s ready.

He underscores that “RS” will highlight the contributions of a wide range of CNN’s journalists, such as Hadas Gold who functions as their media correspondent. This role will allow her to report on numerous developing stories. Meanwhile, he will take on an analyst position, giving him more freedom to provide critical analysis and commentary. Furthermore, “RS” will showcase the work of other CNN personnel like Liam Reilly, Jon Passantino, Donie O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Wagmeister, and Claire Duffy.

The relaunch of this newsletter marks a special occasion not just for the magazine itself, but also for the editor spearheading it.

Stelter made a remarkable ascent to fame, self-launching his career by initiating “TV Newser,” a blog focused on the intricacies of television journalism. Following the sale of this digital platform, he joined The New York Times, where his knack for social media and abundant reporting increased his influence.

In 2013, when he joined CNN under Jeff Zucker’s leadership, Brian Stelter significantly boosted his public image. He hosted the weekly “Reliable Sources” program, one of CNN’s oldest series, and delved into a wide range of new subjects such as disinformation, media coverage of former President Donald Trump, and more recently, the inner workings of Fox News Channel. Towards the end of his initial stint at CNN, Stelter was in charge of the show, the newsletter, and a daily program created for CNN+, a subscription-based streaming platform that was ultimately discontinued following the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, with David Zaslav taking charge.

In August 2022, Stelter decided to depart from CNN, following the cancellation of the show due to a management that perceived CNN as being overconfident under Zucker’s leadership, and too liberal for potential Republican viewers. However, some of these assumptions turned out to be inaccurate. With Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery at the helm, CNN appears to have gained traction with certain conservative newsmakers and sources. Yet, it has also experienced a decrease in viewership in numerous instances.

The future might bring fresh prospects for “Reliable Sources” and potentially Stelter too. Mark Thompson, who took over as CEO from Licht at CNN, has envisioned a future that involves the introduction of specialized sections, or digital platforms focusing on topics like wellness, which will be managed by CNN experts. Although Stelter wasn’t aware of any specific plans for “RS,” he’ll have plenty of media-related content to engage with while his superiors make their decisions.

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2024-09-09 15:17