Brian Stelter rejoining CNN 2 years after he was fired by cable network

BrianStelter is returning to CNN two years after the cable network canceled his show and fired him.

Stelter announced the news in a lengthy essay in the company's Reliable Sources newsletter, the namesake of the now-canceled weekly program on the network which Stelter helmed until his 2022 firing.

"I'm returning to CNN in a brand new role as Chief Media Analyst, which means I'll be appearing on air, developing digital content, and helming this newsletter. It will be different, because I am different," Stelter wrote to readers.

Stelter's Reliable Sources successor Oliver Darcy left the company to launch his own venture Status, which the startup describes as a "nightly briefing that informs readers about what is really happening in the corridors of media power." During his time away from CNN, Stelter has made occasional appearances on the program, including pit stops on Kaitlan Collins' nightly show "The Source."

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"I always scoffed at people who said 'getting fired was the best thing that's ever happened to me' — until, well, it happened to me. After 20+ years as a news junkie, I changed my habits and tuned out for a bit. I also changed my vantage point, moving from Manhattan to a horse farm near one of Donald Trump's golf clubs," Stelter said.

The former CNN host continued, telling readers he "experienced the news more like an everyday consumer, and in doing so, I learned a whole lot about the attention economy and the information ecosystem.

In August 2022, Stelter's original firing came as the network looked to cut costs amid controversial ex-CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht's reign. Licht's time at the network was defined by a push for a less opinionated and politicized product that would engage a wider swath of viewers, but the attempt was largely overshadowed by a series of internal challenges during his tenure.

It is largely believed that Stelter was axed by Licht and CNN executives because he wrote his 2020 book "Hoax" about CNN's rival Fox News Channel, which was viewed as a political move.