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Brian Stelter
Current: Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center. Formers: CNN, NYT, TVNewser
Brian Stelter is a prominent media reporter and expert on journalism who was recently appointed as the Fall 2022 Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.13
Career Background
Prior to his fellowship at Harvard, Stelter had a notable career in media:
- He was the anchor of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and chief media correspondent for CNN Worldwide until August 2022.13
- Before joining CNN in 2013, he worked as a media reporter for The New York Times.13
- He founded the television news blog TVNewser while in college.2
Accomplishments
Stelter has received recognition for his work in media:
- Named to Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30: Media" for three consecutive years.13
- Included in Fortune Magazine's "40 Under 40: Media & Entertainment".13
- Authored two New York Times bestselling books: "HOAX: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth" (2020) and "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" (2013).1
Harvard Fellowship
As the Walter Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard, Stelter's role includes:
- Convening a series of discussions about threats to democracy and potential responses from the news media.12
- Collaborating with students, faculty, scholars, media leaders, policymakers, and politicians.12
- Contributing to public and scholarly understanding of the current state of the information ecosystem and its impacts on democratic governance.1
Stelter expressed his hope to bring the spirit of his former Sunday morning TV show to Harvard's campus and to add value for students and the wider community through these discussions.2
Highlights
FCC commissioner Anna Gomez's really unusual letter to Disney got me thinking about her status as a thorn in the side of FCC chair Brendan Carr and ultimately President Trump — and how much longer it will last.
All throughout the government, Trump has forced out Democratic dissenters like Gomez. So why hasn't she been fired? The answer likely has to do with FCC rules requiring a quorum of three commissioners (out of five total seats) to pass any major pieces of business.
Right now, there are only three: Carr, Gomez and the Trump-appointed Olivia Trusty. The other two seats are vacant. Pushing out Gomez would hamper Trump and Carr's deregulatory agenda, which Carr can advance through 2-1 votes. That is why, in a strange way, Carr may need his most outspoken critic right where she is. Here's the other thing: Gomez's term only runs through next month. So maybe Carr has been content to wait her out. But my understanding is that Gomez can stay in her position until January 2028 unless a successor is confirmed. So far, Trump hasn't even nominated anyone for the seat yet. And the Senate confirmation process is another complication. Getting any FCC nominee through the Senate would take up precious time that can otherwise be spent on approving judicial nominees, cabinet members and other officials. So the press will probably be quoting the FCC's "lone Democrat" for quite some time. Carr will likely keep using the power of his bully pulpit — and Gomez will keep urging media companies to ignore the bullying tactics.
Trump's latest Fox News hire: @NBSaphierMD as Surgeon General https://t.co/XmVhiJcx3y




