Chris Cuomo Had To Go

Chris Cuomo Had To Go

– By Ed Kociela –

Chris Cuomo is a hardliner.

You never wonder where his head is whether he’s talking social issues or politics.

And, it is quite clear that he places family as a priority.

Sometimes, though, you just can’t have it both ways, as Cuomo found out over the weekend.

That’s why CNN did the right thing when the network fired its most-watched personality Saturday.

Cuomo had it all.

A licensed attorney, Cuomo had cable news’ highest numbers in the highly competitive 9 p.m. time slot. He had a daily two-hour show on Sirius XM. He hosted specials, was the go-to guy in times of extreme news, was a broadcast rockstar.

He was immersed in politics with a father and brother who both served as governor of New York.

And, boy, was he loyal to both.

That’s where his troubles began.

Chris Cuomo was fired by CNN for using his position with the network to gather media insights and share them with his brother in a guiding, advisory capacity, a clear-cut violation of journalism’s ethical practices and standards. While I can understand his loyalty to his brother, I also understand how vital it is to maintain credibility with the audience Chris Cuomo served. Where was his first priority? Clearly it was a family matter, which is fine except that he had a hell of a bully pulpit from which to preach. That bond of trust with his audience was violated.

One of the things I liked about Chris Cuomo was the fact that he shares, at least in public discourse, the politics of his father, Mario, a dyed-in-the-wool liberal who was frequently mentioned as a potential presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.

He also shares the same political and social ideology of his brother, Andrew, who recently resigned as governor of New York after numerous allegations of sexual harassment. The brothers are extremely close, as anybody who watched during the days when Chris Cuomo was battling COVID-19 could attest. Andrew appeared regularly on his brother’s show, encouraging him and prodding him into some goofy little brother behavior on the show.

While it may have been endearing to some, it was cringe-worthy to others who understand the business of ethics and accountability and the gravitas of credibility in reporting the news. The Cuomo brothers were just too chummy, too slick, too cloying — certainly not the kind of behavior one would expect from the biggest gun at the network chatting with one of the most important politicians in the nation during a time when a pandemic was raging and people were dying in frightening numbers at a horrific pace. What may have truly been a warm exchange of brotherly love came off as mindless treacle. It was all “oooey-goooey,” all touchy-feelie, which crosses into indefensible behavior for a supposed journalist and his source — whether blood or stranger.

Of course, because of his pedigree, Chris Cuomo isn’t a real newsie. He’s a commentator, an analyst who slices and dices the daily report and puts his spin on it. Never mind that his progressive politics fall in line with mine. That has no bearing on credibility and ethics. I mean, you can flip through any and all of the news channels at just about any time of day and not find a real newsie at the helm, which is why the unwashed masses are so misinformed whether it be COVID-19, the January 6 insurrection, or the Congressional circus with its endless parade of clown cars.

Chris Cuomo is a warrior when it comes to equality and social issues. He is articulate when it comes to progressive ideology. But, he is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a dedicated, objective newsman. Oh, his daily rants were colorful, passionate, and powerful, but never did equate to solid news reporting, especially when playing grab-ass with his big brother on national TV.

Chris Cuomo was relieved of his duties for crossing ethical boundaries. As a representative of CNN, he was duty bound to step away from his brother’s woes, to seek an independent path and to not use his position to influence or gain information that could influence the news. I can understand the familial ties that got him into trouble because, hey, family is family and he was in an undeniable position of power and information that he used to help his brother Andrew when he faced down the sexual harassment charges that led to his eventual resignation as governor. In fact, it is believed that he convinced Andrew to step down. Whether it was because the media and courts had the goods on his brother or not, or because it was just a prudent decision remains to be seen, but Chris Cuomo shattered that trust, that bond with his audience and the accompanying credibility. That’s why CNN had to let him go regardless of how many viewers he could pull each night.

Chris Cuomo was a valuable asset to CNN, particularly when his brother served as governor. It gave the network preferred status with the governor, who was golden with progressives before the sexual harassment charges and the revelations about how he cooked the books during the heaviest days of the pandemic became known. But, Andrew Cuomo is gone and, unless he ends up in court, is not terribly newsworthy these days, which made it easier for CNN to do the right thing and relieve itself of the younger brother.

I’m not terribly concerned about the Cuomo boys at this point. They are both scrappers and will do just fine. Who knows, they might just open their own law practice.

CNN? I’m not too concerned about the network, either. News organizations, once the initial flush has faded, tend to gain stature when they weed the garden.

It’s the public that loses because now, it has even more reason to distrust the media for real and perceived slights that have cratered its credibility making the search for the truth that much more elusive.

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