From the June 18 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources:
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BRIAN STELTER (HOST): This is embarrassing obviously for [Megyn Kelly] that Alex Jones was taping the whole thing. I think NBC should have expected that. If you're going to go into a guy's office, and he's at war with you, and you don't think you're at war with him, he's going to win the war. This is a guy who says CNN is ISIS. This is a guy who espouses sick hate against the media. So I wonder, Mo, if there's an argument to be made that you have to be better prepared if you're going to go into an interview situation like that.
MO RYAN: I absolutely do. I think that in court they would call it something like a hostile witness. And the thing of it is, I agree with Charlie that this is a really important rise that we need to understand, but part of the rise -- many people in the media landscape now portray themselves as victims. And of course that's been something in culture forever, for people to sort of stand up and say, “Everyone's after me, everyone's out to get me,” and to blow up their profile that way, but Alex Jones has been incredibly savvy about how he does this. And here's who wins by this interview airing, and of course at this point NBC can't back out, it's too late for that. But Alex Jones wanted more people to know who he is. Alex Jones wanted more attention from people who might pay for certain products that he sells. He's going to get what he wants out of this. He's going to also get to portray himself as the victim of these mainstream media sharks who were going after him and trying to discredit him. So really, honestly, from a PR standpoint, he has played the game brilliantly. NBC much less so.
