Deep meaning of Chris Cuomo

It is somehow big news that CNN anchor Chris Cuomo advised his brother (f/k/a the luv guv) on how to stay afloat amid the flood of sexual harassment allegations that brought him down. AP covers the story with two reporters on the case here this morning.

The actions taken by CNN’s Cuomo threaten CNN’s reputation as a legitimate source of news! The AP reporters extract this hilarious quote from our hometown authority:

Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota, said journalists must understand they’re working for the public, not politicians.

Kirtley said the extent of Chris Cuomo’s involvement in advising his brother is inappropriate, and since they’re brothers, “Maybe it’s time for him to find another line of work.”

She urged CNN to address the matter promptly, saying: “You can’t act like this is not happening. You’re a news organization.”

Say it ain’t so! Not CNN! “Experts say” the darndest things. This is comedy gold to be filed under Laughter Is the Best Medicine.

Here is Politico Playbooks’s roundup this morning (minus links):

CHRIS CUOMO UNDER FIRE FOR HELPING HIS BROTHER — CNN star CHRIS CUOMO is coming under a wave of criticism after New York A.G. TISH JAMES released records depicting just how hands-on he was in helping shape his older brother’s response to the sexual harassment controversy that ended his governorship. Explosive testimony and text messages detail how Cuomo used his journalism network to pump sources for information about stories reporters were working on regarding allegations against ANDREW CUOMO.

Chris Cuomo brushed off criticism of his involvement or suggestions that he crossed an ethical line given his position as a prime-time TV host, as Nick Niedzwiadek reports. “How do I protect my family? How do I help protect him?” the CNN anchor told state investigators in sworn testimony July 15. “[I] probably should have been thinking more about how I protect myself, which just never occurred to me.”

But his critics aren’t going to let this slide so easily. “Chris Cuomo Must Go,” reads the headline on a piece by David A. Graham in The Atlantic that argues the “anchor betrayed his obligation to his viewers.”

CNBC and WaPo have more on the story, including Cuomo’s push to help his brother’s team draft statements denying reports of sexual harassment claims. CNN issued a statement vowing to review the newly released documents.

“The thousands of pages of additional transcripts and exhibits that were released today by the NY Attorney General deserve a thorough review and consideration,” CNN spokesman MATT DORNIC said, per CNBC. “We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days.”

As I say, comedy gold.

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