In the past, I’ve already written some posts about New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his brother Chris, CNN star. On nearly every occasion, I have emphasized my discomfort with the bonds that unite the two men.
This does not mean that I am opposed to brotherly love, but rather because the brothers are taking advantage of each other’s strength and bad reputation. As if the media and politicians weren’t criticized enough already. It’s hard to maintain the public’s trust or the illusion of integrity when you turn a blind eye to what’s happening now.
You might remember that an older brother, Governor Andrew Cuomo, is at the center of the debate over his handling of the pandemic, and most importantly, because many women have publicly stated that they have been sexually harassed by him.
The whole thing is so dangerous that the person who has already been considered a replacement for Joe Biden as the presidential candidate faces the end of his political life. For now, we know he wants to complete his term, but speculation is rife about his candidacy for 2022.
Having already been denounced CNN’s decision to allow Chris to interview his brother at the start of the pandemic, I think the host and the channel have learned their lesson. Regardless of the intentions or outright harmony of those small TV moments, the two brothers seemed to be taking advantage of each other’s popularity to improve ratings or polls.
Archive photos, Agence France-Presse
Andrew Como
CNN responded late, just as it does now with the new controversy. If Chris Cuomo did not address the allegations of harassment against his brother on his program for the sake of neutrality, we learned today that he advised his brother of the position he must adopt to overcome the crisis. He would have done it multiple times. For a journalist to advise an active politician is already reprehensible, the fact that they are members of the same family is very disturbing.
Chris advised his brother to act firmly, to deny vehemently and not to be influenced by what he saw as the implications of the “culture of annulment”, the culture of exile. It is paradoxical, to say the least, for Chris to suggest to his brother a strategy and term that criticizes abusive use by Republicans during his evening show.
CNN executives now claim Chris Cuomo made a mistake and he will not repeat it. However, the same statement stated that he would not be punished. However, the episodes repeat, and by passing the sponge the channel becomes in the hands of its detractors and opponents. Above all, its leaders give the impression that morality is secondary or that impartiality is not on top of its quality standards.
I never hesitate to address issues of disinformation or even the propaganda nature of certain media, but we must also intervene when deviations like the one I comment on here. In the case of the Como brothers, all indicators were red for a long time, and despite this, we still erred for laxity. It’s very hard then not to be sarcastic.
