Two years after his ouster, CNN host Brian Stelter announced he’s returning to the network… but he’s different this time…

“I am thrilled to share that I am returning as the lead author of CNN’s Reliable Sources newsletter, the digest I founded in 2015,” Stelter wrote in a “surprise” message to “Reliable Sources” readers on Tuesday.

“I’m returning to CNN in a brand new role as Chief Media Analyst, which means I’ll be appearing on air, developing digital content, and helming this newsletter.”

Stelter said his return to CNN, which officially starts Sept. 9, won’t be the same as his previous stint at the network, insisting “because I am different.”

As Fox News reports, Stelter was fired by CNN in 2022 by his then-boss Chris Licht, who at the time was “determined to tamp down spectacle” and tasked by his own bosses at parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to restore CNN’s journalistic credibility by shedding its left-wing partisanship.

In addition to re-hiring Stelter, new CEO Mark Thompson also promoted Jim Acosta to a weekday anchor role and elevated Laura Coats and Abby Phillips into primetime.

“I’m very happy to welcome Brian back to CNN in this new role,” Thompson said in a statement.

“Brian is one of the best global experts in media commentary, and as the founder of the Reliable Sources newsletter, he is the perfect choice to lead Reliable Sources into its next chapter.”

As a reminder, as host of “Reliable Sources,” Stelter hyped Russiagate, fawned over Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus response, and in Oct. 2020 called the Hunter Biden laptop story a “manufactured scandal” peddled by the “right-wing media machine.”

He even called disgraced anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti a “serious” presidential contender going into the 2020 election cycle.

But, hey, he says he’s “different” this time… so there’s noting to worry about.

…and I experienced the news more like an everyday consumer. In doing so, I learned a whole lot about the attention economy and the information ecosystem. So this time around will be different, because I am different.

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 3, 2024