WaPo critic blasts Brian Stelter for 'shilling' on behalf of Chris Cuomo, cites CNN's own editorial guidelines

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Media top headlines August 12

In media news today, female viewers turn off 'Cuomo Prime Time' in droves, MSNBC's Joy Reid says DeSantis and Republicans are 'killing children' with COVID polices, and Brian Stelter gets roasted by critics after his interview with Stephen Colbert

Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple took CNN media reporter Brian Stelter to the woodshed on Thursday in a scathing piece accusing the leftwing media guru of "shilling" on behalf of his embattled colleague Chris Cuomo. 

Wemple began by knocking Stelter's "risible defense" of CNN's handling of its "straightforward ethical disaster" involving the "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor, who has been repeatedly swept up in the scandals plaguing his brother, outgoing Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

He then blasted the "Reliable Sources" host following his widely-panned Tuesday night appearance on "The Late Show" where Stephen Colbert pressed him on the ongoing controversy. 

"In grilling Stelter, Colbert homed in on the discrepancy: Why did CNN allow the Cuomo-on-Cuomo coverage when things were going well, then shut it down when the landscape shifted? Stelter acknowledged the conflict and then said this: ‘I don’t think, if we open up the journalism ethics book, there’s no page for this.' … Really?" Wemple asked. 

BRIAN STELTER ROASTED AS ‘TONGUE-WAGGING COMPANY MAN’ FOR DEFENSE OF CNN, CUOMO AFTER COLBERT PRESSED HIM

The Post critic rebuked Stelter's comments, citing The New York Times’ "journalism ethics book," which states, "In a day when most families balance two careers, the legitimate activities of companions, spouses and other relatives can sometimes create journalistic conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts" and "Journalists have no place on the playing fields of politics." 

He also quotes NPR's guidelines that similarly say, "We are vigilant in disclosing to both our supervisors and the public any circumstances where our loyalties may be divided — extending to the interests of spouses and other family members — and when necessary, we recuse ourselves from related coverage."

"Granted: There’s no actual ‘page’ in ethics guidelines specifying rules for a high-profile, muscular cable anchor and his brother who’s a governor. That’s why they’re guidelines," Wemple sharply pushed back. 

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Wemple then highlighted CNN's own guidelines he said the network has taken "exceptional measures to keep it under wraps."

Among the excerpts relevant to the Cuomo scandal, Wemple wrote, "'CNN employees should avoid any real obligation or appearance of obligation to any interest that he/she may be covering or reporting on,' as well as 'activities that interfere or appear to interfere with his/her objectivity.' There’s also a provision against providing ‘professional, journalistic services for or accept responsibilities for another business or person.’"

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He also noted that CNN employees, according to the guidelines, "must refrain from accepting anything of value which is intended, or might appear to be intended, to influence their news judgment, integrity or impartiality," relating to the allegations that the anchor was a beneficiary of the Cuomo administration's prioritized coronavirus testing in the early weeks of the pandemic. 

"In deference to Stelter, it’s no easy task to cover your own employer… His industriousness is not in doubt here, just his willingness to buck the network line," Wemple added.