CNN Communications Executive Attacks Fox News Reporter, Tweets Screenshots of His Private Messages

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CNN communications executive Matt Dornic went after Fox News reporter Brian Flood for using LinkedIn to find sources for his reporting — posting screenshots of Flood’s private messages to Twitter.

“After all these years of covering CNN, Brian still has to troll LinkedIn for anonymous quotes (from employees of literally any department) to use in his hit pieces,” Dornic wrote in a Wednesday morning tweet, along with pictures of Flood’s messages. “We’ve been forwarded over a dozen of these in the past 24 hours.”

After all these years of covering CNN, Brian still has to troll LinkedIn for anonymous quotes (from employees of literally any department) to use in his hit pieces. We’ve been forwarded over a dozen of these in the past 24 hours. ? pic.twitter.com/P0LwYf6mkK

— Matt Dornic (@mdornic) February 3, 2021

Flood’s messages show that he immediately identified himself as a Fox News media reporter and had the same request for each LinkedIn user he contacted: “I would love to chat for a story I’m working on,” later adding, “You can be anonymous, or on background or even of [sic] the record, whatever makes you most comfortable.”

Although Dornic mocked Flood’s tactics, the practice of searching for sources on LinkedIn — a networking service largely meant to connect people in similar fields and help foster professional relationships — is not uncommon. In fact, LinkedIn messages obtained by Mediaite show a CNN reporter doing the same to Fox staffers.

A Fox News source also said a reporter for the New York Times recently sent dozens of LinkedIn messages to Fox employees for an upcoming piece on the network. The platform even has a program meant to assist journalists looking to use LinkedIn as a resource for their reporting.

“Find and contact the right sources, stay updated on trends, find valuable insights, and build readership with our LinkedIn for Journalists program,” reads the website’s page, which also includes a four page guideline to help reporters “search, find, and connect with potential sources.”

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