Media top headlines August 5
In media news today, CNN execs reportedly suggested Chris Cuomo take 'temporary leave' to advise his brother, a reporter who accused Gov. Cuomo of bullying says CNN host needs to come clean about his role in brother's scandal, and MSNBC's Chris Hayes complains about how Sen. Rubio encouraged people to get vaccinated.
CNN host Chris Cuomo has been scolded by just about everyone in the media industry since the New York attorney general revealed his involvement in his brother’s sexual harassment scandal with one seemingly notable exception: CNN’s prominent female anchors.
The Poynter Institute, an MSNBC column, countless Twitter personalities, media watchdogs, journalism professors and even liberal former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance have condemned Chris Cuomo for advising his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not to step down amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Alisyn Camerota, Brianna Keilar, Kate Bolduan are among the prominent women at CNN that have been silent about Chris Cuomo’s role in his brother’s sexual harassment scandal. (Getty Images)
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Cuomo found that he harassed multiple women from 2013 to 2020. James’ report also indicated that CNN’s Cuomo crafted a statement for his big brother while he was simultaneously serving as a news anchor for the liberal network. The "Cuomo Prime Time" namesake has yet to comment publicly on the debacle, but he’s not the only prominent person from the network to remain silent.
None of CNN’s female anchors have condemned their colleague on air for helping the governor navigate sexual harassment claims, according to a search of Grabien Media.
CNN female personalities Alisyn Camerota, Brianna Keilar, Kate Bolduan, Erin Burnett, Dana Bash, Pamela Brown, Ana Cabrera and Christine Romans haven’t condemned Chris Cuomo’s role on Twitter, either. Bolduan and Bash did express shock at Gov. Cuomo's reported behavior itself following James' press conference.
It’s obviously awkward for anyone to publicly criticize a colleague, and CNN’s prominent females aren’t expected to do anything that could make them uncomfortable in the workplace. CNN’s "Early Start" co-anchor Laura Jarrett retweeted the full attorney general report on Twitter, but did not directly mention Chris Cuomo’s involvement.
Some female CNN personalities, such as Kate Bennett and S.E. Cupp, have taken to Twitter to express disgust with Gov. Cuomo, but none of them have appeared to publicly criticize Chris Cuomo’s role.
CNN is the only major cable news network without a female anchor during primetime. Despite that, CNN fancies itself as a progressive workplace. Their recent projects include "Badass Women of Washington" and a celebration of the 100th anniversary of women being allowed to vote, so it raises eyebrows as to why the network’s prominent females haven’t mentioned their colleague’s growing scandal.
CNN did not immediately respond when asked if female staffers were told not to publicly speak out against Chris Cuomo. One female CNN host told Fox News she was not instructed how to cover the story by management.
However, women from other networks and industries have been vocal.
"CNN’s Chris Cuomo running cover for his powerful brother amid sexual harassment allegations is why so many women do not come forward," activist Jen Perelman tweeted. "There should be a price to pay for this."
Journalist Laura Bassett wrote Tuesday for MSNBC that CNN’s Cuomo "should resign from covering politics or be fired" over advising his brother.
"It’s extremely inappropriate and unethical for a journalist to advise and craft the statements of a politician, regardless of family relation," Bassett wrote.
CNN EXECS REPORTEDLY SUGGESTED CHRIS CUOMO TAKE 'TEMPORARY LEAVE' TO ADVISE BROTHER AMID SCANDALS
"The View" co-host Meghan McCain slammed Chris Cuomo, too, noting that failing to report on his brother’s scandal is "the worst kind of nepotism."
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that CNN executives even "floated the idea" earlier this year that he take a "temporary leave" as his brother faced multiple controversies, including accusations of sexual misconduct.
Prior to the damning attorney general report, Cuomo previously apologized to his CNN colleagues on air for putting them in a "bad spot" and acknowledged he was in a "unique and difficult situation" as the brother of the nation's most prominent governor while being CNN's star anchor, but he insisted "I know where the line is."
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When the governor's scandals first emerged, Cuomo told his viewers that he "obviously" cannot cover his brother, but that wasn't the case last year when he invited the New York Democrat nearly a dozen times for chummy interviews where he praised the "Luv Guv's" leadership during the pandemic. The two of them even performed prop comedy with a giant Q-tip.
At the time, CNN had lifted its rule that barred Cuomo from interviewing his brother. But ever since the governor went from being a media darling to an embattled figure, CNN reinstated its rule on the Cuomo siblings.
CNN also recently welcomed back its top legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin from an extended leave of absence that was granted when he was caught masturbating on a Zoom call in front of several female staffers at his other gig as a writer for the New Yorker. The prestigious magazine fired Toobin for his actions, but CNN allowed him to stick around and even enlisted Camerota to explain the graphic details to viewers on his first day back.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.