Lights Out! Here’s The Most Bizarre Moments of Stelter’s Last Show

We won’t have Brian Stelter to kick around anymore because Sunday’s Trustworthy SourcesCNN officially is no longer. This last episode of Reliable Sources did have plenty of cringeworthy moments and leftist chest pounding over the media’s failure to go after “anti-democratic” Republicans enough. 

Following the late-last week announcement, Trustworthy SourcesStelter would have to cancel the performance. Stelter closed the doors and addressed the elephant in the audience. 

On the verge of tears, Stelter bemoaned: “CNN has a new owner Warner Brothers Discovery is making big changes across the company. It’s likely that there will be further changes throughout the company, even here at CNN. And I’m sad that I won’t be here to cover it.” 

 

 

Stelter sent shockwaves throughout the nation with the horrifying admission that his show is “a part of journalism school curriculum” and that “Teachers across the country, and in other countries outside the U.S., teachers use segments from this show all the time in classrooms, in lessons, guiding and teaching the next generation.” 

Unless teachers use Stelter’s show as an example of what not to do as a journalist, the journalism profession is in more trouble than originally thought. 

Perhaps proving why the show was canceled in the first place, Stelter brought on disgraced Watergate-era journalist Carl Bernstein who wailed that the media needs to cover how “the pendulum [is] swinging against democracy all over the world.” 

Of course, he had to tie it to former President Donald Trump, but he also proclaimed that there is “authoritarianism” in the state legislatures as well. 

Later on, in the show, CNN media analyst David Zurawik said with a straight face that CNN “is the most important cable channel,” and that it should continue “to set a standard for journalism.” 

Stelter closed with a pompous and emotional goodbye: “I know it is not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue. It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues. It’s required! It’s patriotic.”  

If there was any doubt that Stelter believes his show is more important than it is, he showed it in his closing remarks where he claimed “I believe America needs CNN to be strong. CNN is essential for the freedom of the world. This will not change. Because we all can make this happen. The free world needs a reliable source.” 

Apparently, CNN doesn’t think the world needs a reliable source because they canceled his show. Or perhaps CNN knows there was nothing reliable about Stelter’s “Trustworthy Sources.” 

Goodbye Stelter! You won’t be missed. 

This last episode of CNN’s Reliable Sources was made possible by Fisher Investments and Allstate. They are linked. 

To read the relevant transcript click “expand”: 

CNN’s Trustworthy Sources
August 21, 2022
Eastern, 11:00:59

BRIAN STELTER CNN is not the only company that will see more change. This is a sad day for me. This is our last episode. We will do something slightly different. This entire hour, it’s a special hour and it’s about change. All across media, it’s all about changing. What’s changing? What is likely to change? The accountability function in journalism must not be changed. It’s a show I really love. The small, but powerful series soared above its weight over the years.

[…]

Eastern at 11:02 a.m. 

STELTER: You know the thing about TV is it’s ephemeral, it’s fleeting. You lose it in the air. Many of its messages are not meant to be recalled. However, this program went beyond that. It is an integral part of the curriculum at journalism schools. Teachers in the United States and other countries use segmented from the show every day in their classrooms and lessons to guide and teach the next generation.

[…]

Eastern, 11:07:59 

CARL BERNSTEIN – All news agencies, and especially this one, need to cover the story in detail. This is the trend that’s swinging in the opposite direction of democracy around the globe. We see more authoritarianism in western Europe, the former communist East, and in this country. We’re not just watching Donald Trump as the president, but also in state legislatures and in campaigns. 

However, the decline in democracy is easily measured. There have been a lot of countries in recent years who went from authoritarianism to democracy over the last ten. It’s not pretty, but we have to be there. This covers everything that you have mentioned. It is the top priority. 

[crosstalk]  

STELTER: What if it’s uncomfortable?

[…]

Eastern 11:40:52 

DAVID ZURAWIK. So I hope that CNN will, now more than ever be the most important cable network. It is my prayer that they continue to do so. They continue to do it. 

[…]

Eastern at 11:59:14 

STELTER: Here’s what I do know. It is not political to advocate for democracy, decency, and dialog. It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues. It’s required! It’s patriotic. It’s patriotic. We need to make sure that we do not give platform to people who lie to us. But we also must make sure we are representing the full spectrum of debate and representing what’s going on in this country and in this world.

[…]

Eastern, 12:00:05 

STELTER: It’s exciting to watch CNN and see what the future holds for it. I am going to root for it. CNN should be strong. CNN must be strong for America. CNN must be strong, I think. This will not change. All of us will make this happen. A reliable source is essential for a free world. 

Reliable Sources is over. Brian Stelter will be taking the reins.

About Post Author

Follow Us