11 April 2021: Editorial - Team Cuomo Fears Serious Questions from Media

Editorial — Meet the press: Cuomo is ignoring key journalists during his news briefings

The editors of the Watertown Daily Times have noticed that Governor Cuomo is only calling on journalists who won't press him on his scandals in what passes for his news briefings lately.

He’s ignored many members of the Capitol press corps during his novel coronavirus briefings over the past few months. Those of us in the news industry have a responsibility to ask tough questions, and Cuomo isn’t going to make vigilant reporters disappear simply by pretending they don’t exist.

“Reporters at the state Capitol are calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to consider equity when picking which journalists get to ask questions during the governor’s virtual news conferences, including giving more transparency and accessibility to the press. The Legislative Correspondents Association, made up of dozens of reporters and editors from various news outlets who cover the state Capitol in Albany, sent a letter [Feb. 1] requesting Cuomo allow reporters to ask at least one follow-up question; diversify which reporters are selected for questions by taking into account race, ethnicity, gender and age; and alert news outlets at least two hours in advance of his public appearances,” according to a story published Feb. 4 by the Times Union in Albany. “When the coronavirus pandemic engulfed New York last year, the governor shifted his briefings — typically held in the Red Room at the state Capitol — to conference calls and also to the popular online platform Zoom. But who gets picked to ask a question and their inability to ask follow-up questions for clarity have plagued Albany reporters for months, who have taken to social media channels to highlight the inequities. Some reporters described that despite taking part in dozens of the governor’s briefings and requesting to ask a question, they are passed over for reporters who Cuomo and his executive team appear to favor.”

That's another way of saying the reporters who Governor Cuomo favors can be considered to be part of Team Cuomo. At the very least, they would seem willing to participate in Governor Cuomo's 'pay-for-play' media performances, where they get paid attention in return for a willingness to play along with or to promote the Cuomo administration's desired narratives.