14 April 2021: 60 Acres Not Enough To Contain Both Cuomo and Reporters

Cuomo speaks at 60-acre apple orchard, but no room for reporters

Governor Cuomo's scandals are changing how he does his job. This report describes the thinking inside Governor Cuomo's scandal bunker, but the excerpt below about an event on 13 April 2021 discusses what the public gets to see:

Just as he has dozens of times over the past few months, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo streamed a carefully produced speech on his website Tuesday, this one broadcast from a parking lot at Angry Orchard, the Orange County hard cider producer. He talked about the ongoing vaccination effort and rural New Yorkers.

These events always have strong political undertones, with Cuomo reiterating the importance of vaccinations as he's flanked by an American flag or a New York flag. Several events have been held at Black churches or community centers in heavily Black neighborhoods, a constituent group which polling has shown has broadly supported him despite the numerous scandals and investigations confronting him.

Cuomo is often surrounded by people. But no reporters are allowed to attend. The governor hasn't taken a question in-person from a reporter since December....

Tuesday's event was held outside Angry Orchard, which according to one speaker covers more than 60 acres — more than enough room for the entire press corps, and then some....

When Cuomo does take questions a few times each week, it's in tightly controlled conference calls in which his aides are able to select reporters and cut off any attempts at follow-up questions. (The Times Union hasn't been called on in months, though few members of the Capitol press corps have been selected in recent weeks.)

Perhaps New Yorker's should trust the judgment of Governor Cuomo's aides. These are the people who know him best. If they don't think he's trustworthy enough to face serious reporters like a grown up, he probably isn't very trustworthy at all.