CNN runs cover for NPR’s ‘incredibly well-sourced’ mask report as three Supreme Court justices refute it

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Concha: NPR is ‘lying’ about Supreme Court mask reporting

Fox News contributor Joe Concha demands an explanation for the ‘journalistic failure.’

CNN’s media newsletter fawned over NPR’s "incredibly well-sourced" reporter whose dramatic mask story has since been refuted by three Supreme Court justices, but the liberal network dismissed the rare public statements from the justices contradicting the report as a "dustup." 

CNN's Brian Stelter ran cover for NPR’s now-disputed story by legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, which claimed Chief Justice John Roberts "in some form" asked the justices to wear masks because of the omicron surge since Justice Sonia Sotomayor has diabetes, and Justice Neil Gorsuch refused. 

CNN’s Brian Stelter dismissed three Supreme Court Justices refuting an NPR report as a "dustup." (CNN)

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS DEBUNKS NPR STORY ON SCOTUS DRAMA AS LIBERALS DESPERATELY DEFEND BOTCHED REPORT

Gorsuch and Sotomayor denied the report in a rare joint statement, saying they were warm colleagues and friends and that the latter had never asked Gorsuch to wear a mask. Roberts also shot down the report in a separate statement. 

NPR’s report, which was published on Tuesday morning, was addressed that evening by Fox News chief legal correspondent Shannon Bream, whose source discredited the report before the justices called it false themselves.

Hours after Bream’s reporting contradicted NPR, Stelter’s CNN "Reliable Sources" newsletter, written that night by his deputy, gushed over "NPR's incredibly well-sourced Supreme Court correspondent" in a section titled, "NPR's Supreme Court sources v. Fox's single source." The newsletter also put a spotlight on CNN’s own reporter claiming to match "key parts" of NPR’s reporting.

However, CNN was singing a different tune 24 hours later once Sotomayor, Gorsuch and Roberts all issued statements that discredited NPR and CNN’s attempt to match. 

Stelter referred to the situation Wednesday night as a "masking dustup" and began by noting that NPR is standing by the story despite a trio of Supreme Court justices, representing both sides of the aisle, discrediting it. He noted that Roberts "undercut Totenberg more directly" than Sotomayor and Gorsuch but claimed "this dispute may come down to the meaning of the words ‘in some form,’" because the NPR report claimed Roberts "in some form asked the other justices to mask up."

NPR STANDS BY REPORT AS THREE SCOTUS JUSTICES REFUTE GORSUCH-SOTOMAYOR FEUD

NPR’s now-disputed report claimed Chief Justice John Roberts "in some form" asked the justices to wear masks because of the omicron surge but Justice Neil Gorsuch refused. (SCOTUS)

Stelter failed to credit Bream for first reporting NPR’s report was inaccurate and made a point to highlight "the incontrovertible fact" that Gorsuch didn’t wear a mask. Political pundit Stephen L. Miller took notice of Stelter’s coverage. 

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"Brian Stelter… who hosts a CNN cable news show titled ‘Reliable Sources' is now reporting on Conservative Media's reaction to Nina Totenberg, and not her actual sources for this anonymously sourced story that has been debunked on record," he wrote.

CNN also used the "dustup" term in a headline to report on the Gorsuch-Sotomayor statement that failed to even mention NPR. When CNN promoted the report on Twitter, the liberal network suggested the justices are "downplaying reports" despite seemingly clear denials. 

The reliably left-wing Stelter is often derided by critics as a "janitor" for the mainstream press.

Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.