It seems that Brian Stelter and the crew over at CNN’s Reliable Sources have declared they will now self-identify as ”Standards Fluid”. This is based on Tater’s recent tweet thread, covered by Doug earlier, where he goes into detail about how he is delving into the private of Fox News pundit Sean Hannity.
In case you have not heard Brian has a new book coming out in the future. He is both working on final edits, and working on mentioning it at every possible opportunity.
Here's a thread about how media sausage is made, pegged to my forthcoming book, https://t.co/oGOKIamS5l.
For years, there have been rumors inside Fox about Sean Hannity's personal life. Now that I'm fact-checking the book, the info is trickling out… (1/6)
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 11, 2020
Rumors, you say? About someone’s personal life? Concerning their intimate affairs, is that right?
A TV host’s personal life is not automatically newsworthy. But a relationship between two of Fox’s biggest stars? That’s newsworthy. Whispers about Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt have been widespread inside Fox for years, but never reported publicly. (2/6)
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 11, 2020
This is curious, coming from a newsman, who has a program entitled Reliable Sources. It is curious considering that Brian states clearly this is all based on rumors, and ”whispers”, yet here he is digging furiously at this like a dog intent on finding a bone…well, more accurately, like a Yorkie yapping about a squeak toy it cannot reach under the sofa, but you get the idea.
It is also curious because there was a time in the not too distant past when Stelter was presented with a much more explosive story, and one involving a standing politician. When Brian had on Katie Hill, the Representative from California who was exposed as having an affair with an underling staffer in violation of House ethics rules, he was far less dogged about the facts.
The story broke on our partner site RedState, and the bulk of the press coverage concerned how unfair it had been that Hill had been targeted in such a fashion.
Here's my full interview with @KatieHill4CA from today's @ReliableSources pic.twitter.com/gVmritTxBK
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 24, 2019
This interview was all about her victimology and how she was unfairly exposed by a devious right-wing media hit job. When he had been called out on it Brian attempted to excuse his excuse-making.
…And she said, in the interview, “I have to own up to my responsibility in this.” At the very beginning of the interview.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 24, 2019
Except Brian never peppered her with any tough questions. It was all a setup to attempt at image repair. Stelter even introduced the segment in this fashion.
”So, what happens after you resign from your congressional seat amid a revenge porn scandal? Well, former California Congresswoman Katie Hill is remaining very visible and she’s speaking out against what she calls right-wing media smears.’’
Thus, if Brian chases down prurient rumors of an affair based on rumor it is ”newsworthy”, but if a conservative outlet details a sexual affair of a Democrat congress member with evidence it is ”revenge porn”. Now to arrive at this conclusion Brian has to bypass a number of uncomfortable details.
The photograph RedState used of her and a staffer was far less scandalous than the nudes Katie posted of herself on a swingers social media website. Also calling her controversy a ”smear” is a bit laughable when you consider that the House ethics committee determined she was guilty, that Nancy Pelosi instructed her to step down from her appointment — and, oh yea — Katie Hill admitted to the affair. How is it labeled as a smear when the party involved attests to the information?!
But, this is the new standard we can expect from the reliably obtuse Stelter. Brian has frequently employed the new Twitter function that regulates who can comment on his tweets. He should have gone that route again.
I see you have another great ratio building again tater and I want to add to it. Oh one thing…when are you gonna change your avi to a more recent pic pic.twitter.com/qvddGuXlW3
— stay positive (@JandEsdad) June 13, 2020
C’mon – updating avatars on accounts are not ”newsworthy”.
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