Brian Stelter Profile picture
Sep 21, 2020 5 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Is America slouching toward autocracy?

That's the Q I opened Sunday's @ReliableSources with. Almost every day there are new signs of democratic backsliding, new warnings from political scientists. Alarm bells are ringing for all to hear, like Trump mocking @AliVelshi's injury
Gloating about a reporter being hit by a rubber bullet is autocratic, not democratic. We all know this, don't we? cnn.com/videos/busines…
A segment of the U.S. population, a minority, has long held authoritarian leanings. E.g.: Polls showing a preference for a strongman leader to provide protection. Trump has enlivened that segment. E.g.: Rallygoers cheered when Trump told the Velshi story.

mediaite.com/tv/cnns-stelte…
Do folks watching in other parts of the world see these autocratic antics more clearly than those of us in the USA? I asked @lukeharding1968, @RanaAyyub and @johnallannamu to weigh in

cnn.com/videos/busines…
"It's very Orwellian, how authoritarianism starts to establish itself. This is exactly how it happens: You establish your own set of facts. You demonize people who have an opposing view and start to divide people into different sections or sub-communities" –@johnallannamu

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More from @brianstelter

Oct 16
Fox News anchor @BretBaier, who is about to interview Kamala Harris, is all too keenly aware that Fox's viewers want him to affirm what they already feel – namely, extreme disdain for Harris and overwhelming distrust of the media. His X feed says it all... 🧵
As soon as Baier announced his Harris sit-down, uber-skeptical commenters on this site replied with doubts and conspiracy theories. "This interview will be as watered down as they come." "No doubt she already has the list of Q's." "I don't trust Fox and I trust Baier even less."
There is such an intense TRUST DEFICIT on the right – as @Gallup's latest polling makes clear. That lack of trust is what shapes right-wing culture in the Trump era. Even the right's favored network is not immune – some Fox fans don't even trust Fox. news.gallup.com/poll/651977/am…Image
Read 6 tweets
Oct 8
In a move that critics are calling a flagrant abuse of power, Florida's Department of Health is threatening to bring criminal charges against local TV stations for airing a campaign ad about overturning the state’s six-week abortion ban. Today the @FCC chairwoman stepped in...
The unusual warning from the Republican-controlled state agency prompted the Democratic chair of the FCC, @JRosenworcel, to issue a statement saying that stations should not be intimidated for airing political ads. cnn.com/2024/10/08/med…
"The right of broadcasters to speak freely is rooted in the First Amendment," Rosenworcel said. "Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech."
Read 4 tweets
Oct 3
Jack Smith's legal filing underscores Trump's chaos strategy. Three words sum it up perfectly: "CLOUD OF CONFUSION." The "cloud" is a key part of Trump’s toolkit... 🧵
The term "cloud of confusion" comes from Kenneth Chesebro, one of the architects of the fake electors plot. When Trump lost, Chesebro emailed a friend and offered to help Trump challenge the results in his native Wisconsin.
Chesebro envisioned fake pro-Trump slates of electors and wrote that "at minimum, with such a cloud of confusion, no votes from WI (and perhaps also MI and PA) should be counted, perhaps enough to throw the election to the House."
Read 10 tweets
Sep 30
One caller asked for help finding her brother. Another needed info about evacuation routes. A third worried if a nearby dam was about to burst. And many callers said "I'm just so proud of my neighbors."

Local radio in western North Carolina is a literal lifeline right now 🧵
As Helene's waters recede, iHeartMedia's stations in Asheville are giving voice to the crisis – and giving hope to listeners. @newsradio570 and six other stations owned by iHeart are working together, simulcasting round-the-clock coverage. Live here: wwnc.iheart.com
Right now a caller is in tears – she is trying to find gas, worrying about her pets, and wondering about medical help. "I'm so thankful you're here for us," she said to the hosts. "Yes ma'am. We're not going anywhere." "Love you guys." "Love you too sweetheart."
Read 14 tweets
Sep 3
I'm returning to @CNN in a brand new role as Chief Media Analyst. I'll be appearing on TV, developing digital content, and once again helming the Reliable Sources newsletter.
We wanted Reliable Sources readers to find out first. So I wrote them a letter: cnn.it/4ea4ttr
Image
The sheer amount of talent at CNN covering media, tech, pop culture, infowars is stunning. @Hadas_Gold, @passantino, @liam_a_reilly, @EWagmeister, @LisaFranceCNN, @TheSandraG, @AlliRosenbloom, @DDale8, @Donie, @MarshallCohen, @claresduffy, @jonsarlin – just to name a few!
Read 10 tweets
Aug 17
Key quotes from Harris-Walz campaign memo about its ad spending plans: It is placing "$170 million in TV reservations" this weekend. That's "on top of what the campaign believes to be the largest digital reservation in the history of American politics at more than $200 million."
The $200 million in digital reservations "only include connected TV/OTT, premium video, and digital audio" (Hulu, Spotify, YouTube) and do not include further spending on paid social, search, and other high-impact placements as well as video and display ads across the web."
The campaign says it wants to "surround voters" wherever they are – "whether watching on a 'box in a living room,' searching for more information, or scrolling social media feeds. In a fragmented and personalized media environment, we believe we can leave no stone unturned."
Read 9 tweets

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