CNN's Show About Journalism and Accountability Crashes and Burns After Focusing So Much on Trump
“Reliable Sources,” CNN’s media show hosted by Brian Stelter, hit a low in viewership for the year and for a key demographic on Dec. 22.
According to Fox News, Stelter had his lowest viewership of the year among people ages 25-54 on that date, averaging only about 85,000 viewers.
Comparing “Reliable Sources” with its timeslot competitor, Fox News’ media show “Media Buzz,” makes it clear that Stelter’s December struggles did not just come from decreased news consumption during the holidays.
“Media Buzz,” hosted by Howard Kurtz, reached its third-best performance of 2019 and a high in its yearly demographic viewership on the same day that “Reliable Sources” hit its low.
On Dec. 22, the Fox News show averaged 298,000 viewers within the 25-54 demographic, more than tripling Stelter’s audience.
For the whole year through Sunday, “Media Buzz” averaged 227,000 views within the demographic, while “Reliable Sources” averaged only 167,000.
“Media Buzz” also outperformed “Reliable Sources” in total viewers for the year, averaging 1.3 million compared to 748,000 for Stelter’s show.
Furthermore, “Reliable Sources” has had a 12 percent decrease in viewership since 2018, while Kurtz’s audience remains consistent with last year’s numbers.
Fox News media reporter Brian Flood offered one possible reason for the decline: He wrote that Stelter has gone from reporting straight news about journalism to making his show a vehicle for attacks on President Donald Trump.
Flood noted that Stelter was mocked for saying that “journalists shouldn’t advocate for an outcome” in House Democrats’ impeachment of Trump since he frequently and openly criticizes the president.
How can anyone at @cnn can say this with a straight face?
Just goes to show how far gone real journalism is.
— Guy Short (@Shortguy1) December 18, 2019
CNN has advocated for an outcome since 2016.
— Nunyabizness (@Normaki59964998) December 18, 2019
Stelter has questioned Trump’s mental health and whether he is fit for office.
In August, the CNN host did not comment after a guest on his show said the president was responsible for more deaths than murderous dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.
Stelter blamed his lack of response on technical issues.
I agree that I should have interrupted after that line. I wish I had heard him say it, but I was distracted by tech difficulties (that’s why the show open didn’t look the way it normally does, I had two computers at the table, etc). Not hearing the comment is my fault.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 25, 2019
Flood also said the CNN host has downplayed the scandal regarding convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He pointed to Stelter’s failure to include ABC News’ decision to terminate a story that would have exposed Epstein three years prior — as exposed by the conservative whistleblower group Project Veritas — in his list of top media stories of the year.
Stelter instead listed that the top media story of the year was the Trump administration’s “war on truth” and “assault on facts.”
Some have suspected that CNN did not cover the ABC leaks because Project Veritas had exposed CNN President Jeff Zucker for his “bias” a few weeks before.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
