Brian Stelter confronted by college student over CNN's reporting record
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 2 years ago • 6 commentsBy: Ariel Zilber (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
CNN media reporter Brian Stelter looked uncomfortable during a conference on disinformation when a college freshman grilled him over his network's record in promoting false claims.
Christopher Phillips, a first-year student at the University of Chicago, confronted Stelter, who was invited to speak about the phenomenon of "fake news" at a seminar titled "Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy."
Phillips, who is a reporter for the libertarian-leaning newspaper the Chicago Thinker, took to the microphone and reminded Stelter of CNN's reporting errors.
"They push the Russian collusion hoax, they push the Jussie Smollett hoax, they smear Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh as a rapist, and they also smeared Nick Sandmann as a white supremacist," Phillips told Stelter.
"And yes, they dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop affair as pure Russian disinformation."
He continued: "With mainstream corporate journalists becoming little more than apologists and cheerleaders for the [Biden] regime, is it time to finally declare that the canon of journalistic ethics is dead or no longer operative?"
In 2020, CNN settled a defamation suit with Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student who sued the network over its coverage of his encounter with a Native American activist in Washington, DC.REUTERS
Phillips then added: "All the mistakes of the mainstream media and CNN, in particular, seem to magically all go in one direction. Are we expected to believe that this is all just some sort of random coincidence or is there something else behind it?"
Video of the encounter went viral on social media.
Stelter appeared eager to dodge the question, saying: "It's time for lunch."
He then told Phillips that he would approach him later in person to address his question.
A University of Chicago student called out CNN and Brian Stelter for all their lies. This is phenomenal. Enjoy: pic.twitter.com/zfLKgbaY0q
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 7, 2022
"There's a clock that says 30 seconds, but I think my honest answer to you, and I will come over and talk in more detail after this … I understand that that is a popular right-wing narrative about CNN," Stelter said.
"I think it's important, when talking about shared reality and democracy, all these networks, all these news outlets have to defend democracy. And when they screw up, admit it."
Stelter then noted how CNN assisted Fox News personnel when its reporters and cameraman came under fire in Ukraine.
He said it was an example of how rival news organizations "work together," which was something "we don't talk about enough."
CNN has also been criticized for reporting allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.AP
Stelter then defended his network against accusations that it was operating as a propaganda arm of the Biden administration.
"And with regards to the regime, I think you mean President Biden? The last time I spoke with a Biden aide, we yelled at each other," the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" said.
"So that's the reality of the news business, that people don't see, that people don't hear."
CNN and other media outlets have been slammed for failing to initially scrutinize claims by actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted of fabricating tales that he was a victim of a hate crime.Getty Images
Stelter added: "They imagine that it's a situation that simply is not. But I think your question, it speaks to the failure of journalism to show our work and show the reality of how our profession operates."
"We have a lot of work to do, I think."
In a follow-up tweet, Phillips credited Stelter for coming over to speak to him on the sidelines of the seminar.
"I am STILL wondering: if CNN is truly unbiased, WHY is every mistake they make an overstep in favor of Democrats and against Republicans??" the college freshman tweeted.
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Those students did a great job. Stelter, nor the others, had any idea how to handle simple questions about their bias and mistakes.
It's comes from living in the left wing bubble I guess. They are never accountable for lying.
Humpty Dumpty says he'll have an answer at a later time. He's constrained by time.