CNN’s Brian Stelter reacted to Chris Wallace’s announcement that he’s leaving Fox News by raising questions about what the development means for the network.

Wallace surprised the politics and media worlds by announcing at the end of Fox News Sunday that he will be departing the network. It has now been confirmed that Wallace is joining CNN+, a major boost to the network’s upcoming streaming service.

Fox News followed up Wallace’s announcement by noting that it intends to keep Fox News Sunday as a hard news program, with a roster of substitute anchors until a permanent replacement is chosen. Among those who will fill Wallace’s chair in the short-term; Bret Baier, Shannon Bream, John Roberts, Neil Cavuto, Martha MacCallum, Jennifer Griffin and Bill Hemmer.

“The legacy of Fox News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named,” said the network — which has recently added its hard news roster with a series of correspondent hirings and promotions for its Washington D.C. team.

However, as Stelter covered the news at the top of Reliable Sources, he argued that Wallace’s departure represents a major blow to Fox’s news division while the influence of the network’s opinion hosts and commentators will grow larger.

“Chris Wallace is one of the journalists that is at Fox who stands out like a sore thumb because the network has become more and more radicalized, both in the Trump years and now in the Biden years,” Stelter said. “I’m told according to sources knowledgeable with the matter, he decided to leave on his own, he wanted out at the end of his contract this year. So, that speaks volumes about Fox and what’s changing at Fox.”

Wallace’s departure comes shortly after reports said he went to Fox News’ leadership with concerns about Tucker Carlson and the dubious claims he promoted in Patriot Purge. Stelter touched on those reports as he turned to his panel as said Carlson’s “radicalism defines Fox.”

Julia Ioffe, a correspondent for the media site Puck, essentially said that Wallace fit in with Fox anymore, saying “he was often attacked by the right-wing and people at Fox,” and “it’s hard to say at a place like that.” S.E. Cupp agreed that Fox News “used” people like Wallace to present themselves as a news organization, even as the news division kept getting “openly attacked” by their opinion side.

Stelter added, “what’s been happening at Fox for years is news is shrinking, right-wing propaganda is growing and growing, and leaves less and less room for Chris Wallace.”

Watch above, via CNN.

The post CNN’s Brian Stelter: Chris Wallace’s Departure ‘Speaks Volumes’ About Fox News’ Increasing ‘Radicalism’ first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/33sJZNH