“We watched every hour [of Fox News] On Thursday and Friday, CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said of the “credible sources” on Sunday that more than 50% of those hours were spent talking about the Hunter Biden story.
Federal officials are actively investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings, and someone familiar with the investigation told CNN. His father, President-elect Joe Biden, was not involved.
CNN covers the federal investigation and cites reports from Hunter Biden and Biden management.
“The investigation is important and we are pursuing it,” Stelter said. But proportion – or what journalists call “old-fashioned news judgment” – is important, he said.
“These shows destroy their credibility in the days leading up to Hunter Biden,” Stelter said. “Yeah, this is an important story, but it’s contagious. So is the vaccine. So is Trump’s denial.”
In October, an investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings first took steam, with the New York Post publishing a story about Hunter Biden’s involvement with a top executive at a Ukrainian energy company.
But the story was pushed by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, so many news organizations covered it with skepticism and prudence.
“We’re not talking about fully credible sources here,” Stelter noted of the “credible sources” in October, citing the New York Post’s story.