Monday, May 24, 2021

24 May 2021: Opinions - CNN's Compromised Integrity and Calls for Chris Cuomo's Firing

WaPo's Bacon Jr: 'Going to be hard' for CNN to criticize Chris Cuomo now after allowing interviews

Thanks to its cheerleader coverage of Governor Cuomo combined with its relative non-coverage of his scandals, CNN has become the most ethically compromised name in news. That outcome isn't lost on outside observers of the network's editorial policies and its odd decision to neither discipline nor fire Chris Cuomo for his role in shaping Governor Cuomo's scandal response:

Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon Jr. told "Reliable Sources" host Brian Stelter on Sunday that CNN is going to have "a hard time" criticizing or suspending host Chris Cuomo after allowing him to interview his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, without grilling him on his nursing home scandal.

Recent reports have revealed that the CNN host also gave the embattled governor off-air advice on how to handle his string of sexual harassment allegations.

CNN admitted Friday that Chris Cuomo participated in strategy sessions for his brother on how to handle the allegations against him. In a statement, the network said, "It was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor's staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward."

Pay close attention to the wording used by CNN's spokesperson, which we've highlighted with bolface font in the quotation. CNN's managers and editors have greenlit Chris Cuomo's continued communication with Governor Cuomo, including joint conversations with persons who are not members of the Governor's staff, which would presumably include his legal team and members of the governor's political organization. All of whom would be able to share information Chris Cuomo might communicate in these discussions with members of Governor Cuomo's staff.

What exactly are CNN's managers and editors gaining from allowing Chris Cuomo to continue his employment with the network in this arrangement?

The longer this arrangement continues, the greater the need will be for a full housecleaning at CNN.

Editorial: CNN needs to can Chris Cuomo

How would a serious news outlet handle Chris Cuomo's pervasive ethical conflicts of interest and misconduct? The editors of the Boston Herald have a recommendation:

CNN needs to do the right thing and can Cuomo. They’ve already waited too long.

Without being too preachy ourselves, reporting the news takes skill, effort, sources, brevity and ethics. All of us in the industry suffer when one member, especially a notable one, crosses the line. Chris Cuomo must have known the moment he was on the phone with his brother’s handlers that he had sinned.

How can he ever stand before a journalism class and pretend to be a journalist?

And how can CNN say Chris Cuomo isn’t an influence, to some degree, in the hallways and the network newsroom? Who’s stopping him from reviewing copy for another show?

The lines between celebrity and journalism have long been blurred. Now Chris Cuomo is wiping mud on the screen. There’s no question he’s forcing everyone else in the industry to work harder today to guard against any slip.

Trust, the lifeline of any media organization, has just taken a direct hit. The sad part is Chris Cuomo probably doesn’t even care. He’ll just push on and pretend like there’s nothing to see here. But, he’ll slip up again.

Here's a link that provides related background information from the timeline on the fall of CNN's journalistic integrity. And here are some lowlights from the sad story of its decline:

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