Dan Abrams Wrecks ‘Dishonest,’ ‘Reckless’ Brian Stelter Over Zucker Fallout

Monday on his eponymous NewsNation show, longtime TV news personality and legal expert Dan Abrams hammered CNN’s Trustworthy Sources Brian Stelter was criticized by the host for his behaviour regarding The Tonight Show. ousterStelter, now ex-CNN boss Jeff Zucker and puppetmaster Jeff Zucker “dishonest”His defense of CNN’s legitimacy as a news channel “reckless” for targeting John Malone, the top share in CNN’s future parent company Discovery.

As part of his nightly segment plugging his site Mediaite, Abrams began by noting “Zucker was ousted presumably about an undisclosed inter-office relationship, but no one really believes that that was the real reason.”

Abrams claimed that “many have used the incident to criticize CNN more broadly about their ratings, which are way down and their doing much more opinion,”Stelter took these photos “great offense[.]”

After playing a clip of Stelter insisting those who argue CNN’s “lacking journalism” “all opinions…aren’t watching CNN,”Abrams gave him the first point. “CNN has a very strong news-gathering operation”Based on the sheer number of employees, one might agree with.

From there, however, Abrams lowered the boom by noting it’s “a fact that CNN has veered deeply into…the left-leaning opinion territory.” One could also argue “their ratings would be worse if they were just doing newscasts,” it’s “just dishonest” for Stelter to say CNN hasn’t become a network based on liberal punditry.

“[T]hat’s the bigger problem for me. It’s okay to admit it. MSNBC and Fox are a bit more intellectually honest about what they do,”He added.

Abrams then addressed Stelter’s argument that CNN’s committed to journalism based on the number of stories on their website and original videos published on February 2 when Zucker resigned: “That is a hell of a lot of news on CNN’s website, which is not what most people are talking about.”

However, the former Live PD host then hit on a deeper reasoning for Stelter throwing a tizzy (click “expand”): 

ABRAMS: It seems the defensiveness stems in part from comments made by John Malone, the leading shareholder at Discovery, the thought by some to have been behind Jeff Zucker’s termination because Discovery’s preparing to acquire CNN and this is what Malone said on December — in December on CNBC. 

MALONIA [on CNBC’s Squawk Box, 11/19/21]: Fox News, I think, in my opinion, has followed a — a — an interesting project early of trying to have news news. I mean, some actual journalism embedded in — in a program schedule of all opinions. [SCREEN WIPE]CNN needs to return to the journalism it was founded with.

ABRAMS: Ouch.

Abrams calls Stelter “either incredibly brave or incredibly reckless” for also using Sunday’s Trustworthy SourcesTo wage war on Malone, calling his remarks about changing CNN “war” “offensive”And something “Zucker found to be quite disturbing.”

It is one thing that Ken Auletta, a Stelter guest, can do for himself. The New Yorker to go after Malone and another for Stelter, Abrams wrapped the segment by reacting to a clip of Auletta warning Zucker loyalists to be “concerned” about their futures:

It would be my pleasure. Any time a new boss comes in and the company isn’t performing well, the key employees should be concerned. This could take some time. It is possible that some faces and the business model of CNN will change, regardless of whether or not they want it.

(h/t: Mediaite)

To see the relevant NewsNation transcript from February 7, click “expand.”

NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live
February 7, 2022

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mediaite Moments; CNN Lovefest for Ex-Boss Could Spell Trouble for Current Hosts]

DAN ABRAMS: Last week, the media world was stunned by the resignation of now former CNN president Jeff Zucker and no way — nowhere were they more stunned than at CNN, where Zucker remains popular. Although it was rumored that Zucker was removed due to an unknown inter-office relationship between the two offices, no one is certain that this was the true reason. Many have taken advantage of the situation to attack CNN in general about how they are doing their opinion and their ratings. Brian Stelter, CNN’s media reporter took offense. 

BRIAN STELTER [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]: But the people who say we’re lacking journalism, that we’ve become an all talk channel, that we’ve run off and we’re all opinions all the time, that Jeff Zucker lead us astray, those people aren’t watching CNN.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mediaite Moments; CNN Future Top Shareholder Doesn’t Love CNN]

ABRAMS: Yes, CNN has a very strong news-gathering operation, but it is also simply a fact that CNN has veered deeply into the opinion territory, the left-leaning opinion territory and look, you can make a solid argument that their ratings would be worse if they were just doing newscasts all day, but to say otherwise about their content is just dishonest, and that’s the bigger problem for me. It’s okay to admit it. Fox and MSNBC have a more honest approach to what they do.

STELTER [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]CNN posted more than 215 news stories the day Jeff Zucker quit. Nearly 90 original videos. This is a huge amount of news. That’s quite a bit of journalism.

ABRAMS. This is quite a bit of news for CNN, but it’s not the main topic. It seems the defensiveness stems in part from comments made by John Malone, the leading shareholder at Discovery, the thought by some to have been behind Jeff Zucker’s termination because Discovery’s preparing to acquire CNN and this is what Malone said on December — in December on CNBC. 

JOHN Malone [on CNBC’s Squawk Box, 11/19/21]: Fox News, I think, in my opinion, has followed a — a — an interesting project early of trying to have news news. I mean, some actual journalism embedded in — in a program schedule of all opinions. [SCREEN WIPE]CNN needs to return to the journalism it was founded with.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mediaite Moments; CNN’s Brian Stelter Attacks Future Top Shareholder…of CNN]

ABRAMS: Ouch. Stelter replied in a moment of extreme bravery or recklessness, indicating that he was not satisfied with that assessment. 

STELTER [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]CNN Staffers found it offensive. Jeff Zucker found this to be very disturbing as he was thinking about what Discovery’s main shareholder is going to do for CNN.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Mediaite Moments; Some CNN Anchors Should Be Worries Post-Zucker Era]

ABRAMS: Reminder. John Malone, the crucial shareholder in CNN, is replacing Jeff Zucker as the CNN boss. Now, a longtime media observer and New York — New Yorker Ken Auletta of the writer Ken Auletta has also criticised John Malone. 

KEN AULETTA [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]: I think what Malone just said when — in the clip you played was comical. It’s just a joke. This is a joke and not true. 

ABRAMS – Now Auletta is able to say this with impunity. But Stelter? Maybe you’re playing with fire. 

STELTER [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]Malone is not going to be as powerful as he was in the past. [SCREEN WIPE] So, should CNN anchors and reporters be concerned about John Malone’s views of CNN?

ABRAMS: That is when Auletta gave us a hard reality check. 

AULETTA [on CNN’s Reliable Sources, 02/06/22]: If I was CNN and I was an employee and I — and I loved working under Jeff Zucker for understandable reasons, I would be concerned. 

ABRAMS – I agree. Any time a new boss comes in and the company isn’t performing well, the key employees should be concerned. It could take some time. It is possible that some faces and the business model of CNN will change, regardless of whether or not they want it.