As we highlighted earlier this week, it was only a little over a year ago when Brian Stelter declared Michael Avenatti to be “a master of the media”:

Love him or hate him, @MichaelAvenatti is a master of the media… https://t.co/iAkxcD2iDw — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 9, 2018

What a difference a year makes, huh? Now that Michael Avenatti’s next career move could very well be prison, Brian has to perform some impressive feats of intellectual gymnastics to justify all those nice things he said. This is what he’s going with:

Brian Stelter Defends Past Praise of Michael Avenatti: Media Mastery an Essential Skill in U.S. Politics https://t.co/8BzwyXpxVn — Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 24, 2019

Excuse us?

He really said it (emphasis his):

With Michael Avenatti facing charges in multiple states, WaPo’s Erik Wemple went back and examined the reasons for Avenatti’s “cable-news ubiquity,” which has been intensely criticized by conservative media critics. I played a starring role in this Free Beacon mash-up of TV outlets talking with Avenatti, so Wemple asked me for comment… And here’s what I told him: There are lots and lots of reasons why Avenatti was newsworthy when he was representing Stormy Daniels. Journalists did their jobs and questioned him — some more effectively than others. Critics are doing their jobs and questioning the coverage — and that makes all of us better. But bad faith arguments make us all worse off. Some folks have been distorting my comment last September about Avenatti. My thesis back then, which still holds, is that all future US presidents will be television stars of some sort. TV star power will be a prerequisite for the presidency. [That’s why] I told Avenatti “one reason I’m taking you seriously as a contender is because of your presence on cable news.” Obviously I’m not taking him seriously anymore, but I own that comment. He showed a Trump-like mastery of the media last year. I think there’s been a lot of introspection in newsrooms about the reasons for that mastery. I think what’s most important now is that the cases against him are covered fairly and thoroughly, not soft-pedaled by people who previously interviewed him OR sensationalized by people who dislike him.

Well, at least he’s owning it, you guys. The fact that he said it, that is. Not the fact that he’s a garbage “journalist” who will sell his soul for ratings.

If I may, @brianstelter, the video wasn't about media folks "talking with Avenatti," but rather boosting him or, at times, breathlessly praising him. Certainly he was a significant, news-making person, but he was also a clear partisan with an agenda. That was the point. pic.twitter.com/f3QV8NB0hI — David Rutz (@DavidRutz) May 24, 2019

He's acting like we were all fooled by his media mastery. NONE OF US WERE FOOLED. — neontaster (@neontaster) May 24, 2019

It takes real media mastery to get invited on CNN 25 times a month. — neontaster (@neontaster) May 24, 2019

Avenatti appeared on CNN and MSNBC 108 times between March and May of last year and 254 times across all cable and network news Between February 2018 and February 2019. It's likely that most, if not all, of these appearances were invites, not his initiative. — neontaster (@neontaster) May 24, 2019

Any criticism of the media's janitor or his friends is always in "bad faith". https://t.co/OzRl26ogQs pic.twitter.com/HQAJuDV4Pq — BT (@back_ttys) May 24, 2019

Bold move of Brian to call Avenatti his master like that. https://t.co/LP5UJRtKE7 — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 24, 2019

Ha!

Media mastery is a strange way to say "I gave him lots of free publicity when I thought it would advance my rating and political view" — Jedi Ghost Wisconsin Irish James (@blackdoglurking) May 24, 2019

“Hey you know politics is about mastering ways to throw bags of poo at journalists like me while I gladly sit there and let him do it.” — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 24, 2019

Does media mastery mean taking the media for a ride? Because Stelter got owned by a conman and now he's saying that's evidence the guy possess an "essential skill". — Phil (@philllosoraptor) May 24, 2019

There's a new game we like to play you see

A game with added reality

You treat me like a dog

Get me down on my knees

We call it master and servanthttps://t.co/PbeaMtPSYd — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 24, 2019

This is a steaming pile of bull, even for you, @brianstelter. https://t.co/u3SxFzWRFi — Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) May 24, 2019

Brian Stelter has really mastered the art of shameless hackery.