26 February 2022: "People Familiar With the Matter" Discuss How Cuomo Influence Network Member Allison Gollust Compromised CNN's Coverage of Cuomo

CNN Probe Finds Allison Gollust Assisted Chris Cuomo in His Efforts to Help Andrew Cuomo

This report describes some of the details related to how Cuomo influence network member CNN Chief Marketing Officer Allison Gollust influenced CNN's news coverage of Andrew M. Cuomo's pandemic-related performance in office. We've pieced together the following excerpts from the article to highlight where she apparently compromised CNN's very low standards for practicing journalism:

CNN’s parent company determined that the network’s former marketing chief provided guidance to then-anchor Chris Cuomo as he tried to help then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo deal with allegations of sexual misconduct, in violation of CNN’s standards, according to people familiar with the matter....

People familiar with the matter say there were multiple factors that led to Ms. Gollust’s departure, including what they describe as her mischaracterizing the timing of the relationship with Mr. Zucker; not promptly handing over a device that contained some of her communications; and exchanging messages with Andrew and Chris Cuomo that the company deemed were in violation of the company’s standards....

Other text messages reviewed during the investigation showed Andrew Cuomo had mentioned to Ms. Gollust certain questions he wanted to be asked by CNN during an interview that aired on March 28, 2020, regarding the coronavirus pandemic, some of the people said.

Ms. Gollust relayed the questions to a CNN producer in an email and told the producer to tell the anchor to ask them, those people said. Mr. Zucker was copied on the email as well, they said....

While discussing general talking points with an interview subject ahead of the interview is permissible under CNN’s news standards and practices, providing actual questions to be asked usually isn’t, according to a Wall Street Journal review of the network’s news standards and practices policy guide. A person familiar with WarnerMedia said Ms. Gollust’s decision to relay questions suggested by Andrew Cuomo was a violation of CNN’s news standards and practices.

"People familiar with the matter" is a phrase often used by reporters who have multiple inside sources to corroborate a story when those individuals have reason to remain anonymous, such as avoiding legal repercussions or firing from their organization for revealing information they've been instructed to keep confidential. In this case, the phrase almost certainly refers to high ranking insiders at CNN or at WarnerMedia.