CNN’s Brian Stelter advocates limiting a ‘liar’s reach,’ says it isn’t same as censorship

CNN’s Brian Stelter said a “liar’s reach” should be limited in order to combat “information pollution” on social media and competing news outlets.

“How can that harm be reduced? Well, Big Tech platforms say they are removing lies about vaccines and stamping out stop the steal B.S. and QAnon cult content. Do these private companies have too much power? Many people would say sure. … But reducing a liar’s reach is not the same as censors freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is different than freedom of reach,” Stelter said Sunday on Reliable Sources.

“News consumers are both overfed and malnourished at the same time, gorging on empty information calories, indulging their sugar fixes of self-affirming half-truths, outright lies,” he said, partially quoting former Fox News’s Chris Stirewalt. “It’s impossible to make those lies go away, but they can be reduced. All right. Harm reduction. Instead, we get this on Newsmax. Get this. ‘Biden’s plan to destroy America,’” he continued.

He took issue with Fox News’s Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, saying Carlson has spread “patently false” information about CNN trying to allegedly move Fox off the airways.

“Tucker Carlson is telling viewers that this network, CNN, is trying to force Fox News off the air, which is patently false. It is as predictable as the sunrise. Democrats win elections, and then Republicans say they are being silenced. While some cry cancel culture, let me suggest a different way to think about this, a harm reduction model,” Stelter said.

Later on in Stelter’s program, he interviewed Rick Davis, the executive vice president of news standards and practices at CNN, who highlighted that Stelter’s program should have more “responsible” voices from the right-wing.

“I think you need to strive to have more voices on the show from right of center, responsible voices from right of center on the show,” he said.