CNN Host Brian Stelter: Fox News Had My Girl Crush Spy on Me

CNN

CNN host Brian Stelter has a warning: Beware the spying sirens of Fox News Channel.

In a revelation that set media insiders buzzing Tuesday, Stelter said on the CNN program “New Day” that about 10 years ago, he dated a Fox News staffer who, he later came to believe, was ferrying information about him back to headquarters.

“I had a crush on a woman at Fox News,” the host of “Reliable Sources” told viewers. “She was a low-level staffer. I was in college at the time.” When he was a student at Towson University, Stelter created TVNewser, a blog about the cable news business, including Fox.

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“I was going out on what I thought were dates,” he continued. “These were not dates. She was actually reporting back to Fox News about me. … They were actually spying on me in that way.”

Stelter, who would go on to work at the New York Times and joined CNN in 2013, did not identify the woman or explain how he knew she had spied on him. He did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

A Fox News spokeswoman had no comment. At the time Stelter describes, the PR department at Fox News was led by Brian Lewis, an aggressive publicity veteran who had an acrimonious exit from the network in 2013.

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Stelter’s revelation came amid a discussion of the scandals plaguing Fox News, which last month sent its longtime chief, Roger Ailes, packing after he was sued for sexual harassment by former host Gretchen Carlson. Ailes has publicly denied the allegations but is reportedly engaged in settlement talks.

Fox News, with its heavy dose of opinion shows, has led the race for viewers for years, but CNN has recently made inroads, especially in its election coverage.

The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
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In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
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On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
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Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.