We’ve been waiting for CNN’s Brian Stelter to dive headfirst into CNN’s latest scandal. You know, the one with Jeff Zucker and Allison Gollust and Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo.
Brian is CNN’s chief media correspondent after all.
Well, this morning, Brian indeed took a close look at the biggest media industry scandal out there right now:
Media industry scandals are more intense on the inside than they may seem on the outside. And so it is at Spotify right now, as employees challenge management and condemn Joe Rogan… https://t.co/aliAp53b54
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 8, 2022
Spotify and Joe Rogan. Spotify and Joe Rogan are definitely it. When we think of “media industry scandals,” we think “Spotify and Joe Rogan.” Brian Stelter has lots to discuss when it comes to Spotify and Joe Rogan.
Jeff Zucker? Jeff Zucker who?
All we need to know about Jeff Zucker is that CNN employees feel lost without him:
On Monday WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar held more meetings with CNN staffers to address Jeff Zucker‘s sudden ouster. Last week Kilar was questioned by reporters in DC and Atlanta. Today, he was challenged by reporters in New York, London and Hong Kong. Oliver Darcy and I attended the meeting in our capacities as employees, not media reporters; outside reporters were not allowed in. We didn’t take notes, but the meeting leaked to outside reporters, so we’re handing off to our editor, who was not in the room, for a recap:
Senior media editor An Phung writes: “Jason Kilar on Monday continued his appeasement tour, and it was clear that the weekend did nothing to dampen the emotional fallout stemming from Zucker’s exit. At a town hall with New York-based anchors, producers and executives, Kilar was again peppered with questions that he said he could not answer. ‘We have experienced a huge shock wave to our mental health, this has been incredibly destabilizing and unsettling,’ Alisyn Camerota said, according to a recording of the town hall that was leaked to Insider. The WSJ reported that Richard Quest questioned whether there ‘was the possibility of a more imaginative result that would’ve allowed you to keep the captain, instead of throwing the captain overboard while the ship is about to go through icebergs.’ Kilar offered few satisfying answers and said he considered the Zucker matter closed…”
Phung continues: “Oliver Darcy and Don Lemon zeroed in on questions about Chris Cuomo‘s severance, asking whether Cuomo will get paid now, and what message that would send. Kilar wouldn’t answer repeated questioning on the matter, which is intriguing, given Zucker previously said Cuomo would not get paid. Brian Stelter asked a forward-looking question that is likely on a lot of CNN staffers’ minds: ‘Where is the global town hall’ for the rest of CNN’s thousands of employees? Why has communication been so lacking? Aside from the short initial emails about leadership changes, most of us have yet to get any facetime with Kilar. But given how much he has dodged our anchors’ grilling, I am not hopeful that our most pressing questions about what happened will be answered.”
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Thank God Brian was there to ask that forward-looking question.
And thank God Brian is here to keep the focus on Spotify and Joe Rogan. And Trump, too, of course:
Lmao https://t.co/p48i1bzWhG pic.twitter.com/C7N9AnS3LQ
— Cox (@HOLYSMKES) February 8, 2022
He never disappoints. Always meets or exceeds our worst expectations.
https://t.co/CnlSQQZ74t pic.twitter.com/St0UdMznTt
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) February 8, 2022
Awkward
— Xeni (@xeni) February 8, 2022
This is starting to feel like one of those moments where you realize someone is pointing at a shiny object to distract their audience from some shitty thing they did https://t.co/UBdQ23ladF
— Christopher D. White (@ZanderKelly30) February 8, 2022
https://t.co/j4a3sp4W2l pic.twitter.com/vwZgjUqCqH
— Belligerent returns (@Belligerented) February 8, 2022
Throwing stones from the worlds biggest glass house. https://t.co/UmZ5NLJgPw
— a newsman (@a_newsman) February 8, 2022
CNN owns no mirrors https://t.co/zbupznJbdX
— Tweet Man (@GuyWithTweet) February 8, 2022
— Cox (@HOLYSMKES) February 8, 2022
Is Brian really that oblivious to his own company’s scandal that just happened? https://t.co/GU4pLw6AEJ
— Allison Kay (@ladyamer1can) February 8, 2022
No. He’s not. He’s just a Real Journalist, Mr. President.
Introspection does not appear to be part of his job description.
— Kevin (@mcnamee_kevin) February 8, 2022
The last week of coverage might suggest otherwise.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 8, 2022
Bless your heart, Brian.
Just imagine if Rogan worked closely with a child sexual predator. That’d be pretty bad. https://t.co/yulyK4rZfj
— Matthew D. Dempster (@dempstermd) February 8, 2022
No kidding!
Everyday Brian's disconnect from reality reminds me of the Seinfeld scene where George is talking about needing a woman to have long luscious hair and Elaine screams in his face, "You're Bald!"
— Amanda Jean (@AJAmmirabilis) February 8, 2022
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