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Danforth: Brotherly love and tough talks - Aspen Daily News

Dave Danforth19.TIF

Fox News can no longer be accurately called “state-run media” due to its ranking as Donald Trump’s favored TV channel. But that hasn’t stopped it from jumping all over rival Cable News Network. One of CNN’s favorite targets is Fox’s Tucker Carlson over Carlson’s embrace of the latest conspiracy theory.

But this week Fox and Carlson got a gift. Chris Cuomo, host of CNN’s top-rated show, is in trouble for advising his brother, New York governor Andrew, over the gov’s sex scandals.

Cuomo crossed a journalistic red line that separates journalists from the figures they cover.

The host (he’s 50, brother Andrew is 63) opened a show last week by apologizing. Few would stop two brothers from a private chat. But Cuomo participated in strategy sessions over the governor’s troubles. The New York governor has been accused by several women of harassing them. He’s also taking fire for having his state undercount the number of COVID deaths that occurred at nursing homes in addition to hospitals.

Chris Cuomo said he now sees his sin and won’t do it again. In this case, it was failing to stay away from the governor by “advising” him while other state employees were present.

The elder Cuomo is beyond knee-deep in kimchi. He can’t shake off the sleaze of multiple admissions of touchy-feely behavior around women. He also can’t backfill fallout from the COVID undercount. Critics are all over him to resign, but much of that is expected political behavior in 21st century New York. Beyond that, he may get retired by voters if he seeks another term.

Chris Cuomo has fielded one call for his suspension from CNN, and the network told him a while ago not to cover his brother’s troubles. CNN originally hesitated when the governor began his fabled daily briefings from New York, the original ground zero in the pandemic, which struck in March last year. But after Chris began interviewing his brother, the ratings exploded as the two sparred over the disaster. The drama spread later when Chris contracted the disease himself and ran his show while confined to his basement.

Both Cuomos had to know the ethics perils of going on-air together, but the briefings by the brothers had the blessings of CNN management. They showed the particularly intimate sparring ­between two brothers, one of whom was infected by a plague ravaging their state.

Chris Cuomo has stayed away from reporting on his brother since. The report about the brotherly advice came from the Washington Post.

The fine line here lay between a brotherly chat and conversations that appeared to involve state resources when the journalist appeared to “brief” the governor in strategy sessions over the latter’s conduct.

It ‘s difficult to tell two family members what they can and can’t discuss in private, and there’s certainly no way to police it. It’s unknown if they recognized the harm that could come when they participated in strategy sessions over the governor’s problems. But they should have. Instinct and awareness are key skills for both a politician and a journalist. No one can stop two family members from meeting in the garage. But they can be expected to know the risks of what can a come when they take their talk into the living room or over the state house phone when others on the state’s payroll are present.

We’ve probably not heard the last of this latest seeming misstep. But we’ll hear more. Fox is always on the lookout for material it can use against the competing CNN. Fox now has a challenge. It can’t be branded “state-run media” any more since its patron saint moved to Florida. But that won’t stop a brawling network from the latest scrap in the ratings race.

Bulletins at once. News at 11.

The writer (dukeofdanforth@gmail.com) is a founder of the Aspen Daily News and his column appears here Sundays.

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