Brian Stelter rebukes CNN on final show: 'It's not partisan to stand up to demagogues'
Source: The Guardian
Brian Stelter rebukes CNN on final show: ‘It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues’
Host says, ‘It is not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue,’ after CNN cancels media show Reliable Sources
Ed Pilkington in New York
@edpilkington
Mon 22 Aug 2022 08.00 BST
Last modified on Mon 22 Aug 2022 08.01 BST
Brian Stelter, host of CNN’s media affairs show Reliable Sources which was cancelled last week after 30 years on air, used his final episode Sunday to make a pointed rebuke of the network’s new bosses and their intention to pursue a more “neutral voice” to its coverage.
“It is not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue,” Stelter said in his final monologue, which he stressed was unvetted by CNN management before he delivered it live. “It is not partisan to stand up to demagogues – it’s required, it’s patriotic.”
He added: “We must make sure we do not give a platform to those who are lying to our faces.”
CNN gave Stelter his marching orders last Wednesday, just four months after the network came under new leadership appointed by its owners, Warner Brothers Discovery. CNN head Chris Licht, who took over after the February departure of Jeff Zucker, has indicated that he wants to tone down the opinion quotient of its shows and “return” to an older, straighter and in his view less overtly leftwing style of reporting.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/aug/22/brian-stelter-cnn-cancels-show-reliable-sources
= new reply since forum marked as read
CNN is not a 'neutral' voice, never has been. But cancelling shows like RS that highlighted Truth over Lies no matter the political stance of it's targets is plain old cynical manipulation by those in charge.
Except this time they have been caught and called out by their paid host. Bravo!
This just puts them one giant step closer to FOX, OAN etc., and everyone needs to know.
that they reprinted and like good little Pavlov-trained dogs, they picked up that ball and are running with it.
They can't get Biden on the "economy and inflation!!!!11!!!!!!111" or "high gas prices!!!1!!!!!!111" or "he didn't get any of his agenda done!!1!!!111!!!!", so now they are going to try to "2010 him" and keep purposely continuing to legitimize the RW fascist loons who haven't stopped attacking our system of government. They also don't realize that should those deplorables achieve their goals, the FIRST group they will literally eliminate is that very "press" who are carrying their water. 
They don't get that the people they are ignoring are going to Roe Roe Roe their votes this Roevember.
No paywall link
By Matt Viser
August 21, 2022 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Joe Biden on Thursday will effectively launch his midterm campaign efforts, attempting to capitalize on one of the best stretches of his presidency and beginning the hard task of persuading voters to keep Democrats in control of the House and the Senate. But he has also been in an uncomfortable position, as an anchor for many candidates. For Biden, who for decades has prided himself on being one of the most sought-after Democratic surrogates, it’s also an unfamiliar position. He’s being attacked more often in televised ads than Obama was at this point in 2010, or Trump was in 2018.
He goes largely unnamed on Democratic campaign websites and Twitter accounts. And candidates in key races in battleground states are either not asking him to come — or actively avoiding him when he does, according to a Washington Post survey of more than 60 candidates in the most competitive gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and congressional campaigns in the country. Few candidates said they wanted Biden to campaign for them in their state or district, with many not responding to the question at all. The Post also asked if candidates wanted Vice President Harris as a surrogate campaigner for the Biden administration and got the same set of unenthusiastic responses.
“No comment from the campaign at this time,” said a spokeswoman for Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), who is a Republican target in a state that Biden won by more than 13 points. “We have not asked President Biden or VP Harris to campaign in Ohio and have no plans to do so,” said a spokeswoman for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is the Democratic nominee in a tight U.S. Senate race. Pointing to a range of surrogates for Republican nominee J.D. Vance, the spokeswoman, Izzi Levy, added, “Tim has been very clear that he wants to be the face of this campaign, and that’s not changing anytime soon.”
Several Democratic candidates didn’t say they were opposed to Biden appearing with them in their states. But they weren’t exactly warmly embracing the idea, either. “Well, I mean, I welcome anybody to come to Arizona and let me, you know, show them around the state and, you know, the issues that we’re facing,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said when asked if he wanted Biden to campaign with him. “So, yeah, I mean, it doesn’t, doesn’t matter who it is.”
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/21/biden-turns-toward-midterms-he-may-not-be-top-surrogate/
Their influence will give any right wing candidate a bigger, louder voice than the dem candidate.
