March 28, 2024

CNN Fires Chris Cuomo Over Role in Andrew Cuomo’s Scandal

“This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday. “So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at ‘Cuomo Prime Time’ and the work we did as CNN’s #1 show in the most competitive time slot. I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work.”

The spectacle of a high-profile cable news anchor advising his powerful politician brother amid scandal was a longstanding headache for many CNN journalists, who privately expressed discomfort at actions that, in their view, compromised the network’s credibility. The CNN anchor Jake Tapper went public with his concerns in May, telling The New York Times that his colleague had “put us in a bad spot,” adding, “I cannot imagine a world in which anybody in journalism thinks that that was appropriate.”

Mr. Zucker, for a time at least, had stood behind Mr. Cuomo, saying the anchor was “human” and facing “very unique circumstances.” The network also offered the anchor a formal leave if he wished to work more closely with his brother’s team.

In the wake of Chris Cuomo’s suspension on Tuesday, CNN said it would embark on an internal review of his conduct, but the network made no immediate plans to retain an outside law firm or forensic investigators. The review was expected to focus on what ethical journalistic lines Mr. Cuomo may have crossed, according to a person familiar with the network’s plans.

Mr. Cuomo, previously at ABC News, was one of CNN’s first major hires after Mr. Zucker became its president in 2013. A morning show, “New Day,” was organized in part around Mr. Cuomo’s bombastic, fast-talking on-air personality. Mr. Cuomo also brought reportorial experience from his time covering wildfires, shooting rampages and war zones.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/business/media/chris-cuomo-fired-cnn.html

Speak Your Mind