Washington Post’s Erik Wemple Blasts CNN’s Stelter for ‘Whitewashing’ Cuomo Controversy: Has He Applied ‘Same Logic’ for Fox?

Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple excoriated CNN’s Brian Stelter Monday, saying he “whitewashed” the network’s serious Chris Cuomo problem with “wet kisses.”

CNN has come under intense criticism for the host of their highest-rated show participating in strategy sessions to advise his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on how he should respond to the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Stelter addressed the elephant in the room on Sunday’s Reliable Sources, calling it a “conundrum” for CNN with “no perfect answer.”

He acknowledged the network is facing an “optics problem,” and noted that he personally believes Cuomo should “speak out when the time is right.” As he explained the approach of CNN executives, Stelter brought up Cuomo’s ratings and said, “Viewers wanted to see him on TV, and let’s be honest, this is TV, so that’s not a totally irrelevant factor.”

Wemple reacted to Stelter’s segment by saying he’s making excuses, even remarking, “We at the Erik Wemple Blog are trying to remember the last time that Stelter excused some atrocity at Fox News by pointing to the network’s killer ratings.”

He wrote Monday that Stelter’s segment “had to delight the network’s PR operation” and said this is much more serious than an “optics problem.”

There is nothing at all “complicated” about the story. CNN flouted journalistic ethics in spring 2020 when it allowed Chris Cuomo to host his brother about a dozen times in flattering gab sessions — and then, when the governor’s covid-19 and sexual harassment scandals piled up in early 2021, the network somehow tracked down its internal guidelines and banned Chris Cuomo from covering his brother. That switcheroo is what is unprecedented.

Stelter said at one point Sunday, “CNN is so much bigger than any one anchor. What really matters most is how CNN, as a global news outlet, covers the governor’s alleged crimes.”

Wemple responded by remarking, “Has Stelter ever applied that same logic to Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity?”

Wemple even calls on CNN to investigate exactly how big of a role Cuomo host played in aiding his scandal-plagued brother.