Media critic Brian Stelter returns to CNN two years after network cancels show, fires him

TV media critic Brian Stelter is returning to CNN two years after the cable network cancellation his "Reliable Sources" show, then fired him.

Stelter will again serve as the lead author of the “Reliable Sources” media newsletter and as an on-air commentator with the title of "Chief Media Analyst."

He founded the newsletter in 2015, and the relaunch is set for Sept. 9. 

"Simply put, CNN feels like home," Stelter wrote on X. "Those three iconic letters are magnetic. So it's time to get back to work." 

Stetler in recent months has appeared as a guest on CNN, foreshadowing a possible return. 

In August 2022, then-CNN network boss Chris Licht, canceled Stetler's Sunday morning show, then parted ways with him.

Oliver Darcy was the lead author of the newsletter after Stelter. Darcy left CNN last month and launched a newsletter called “Status" about news in the media and entertainment industries.