Integrity of Journalism before Entertainment

Covid-19 has affected millions of people around the world and forced people to change their daily routines and methods for socializing. The rapid spread of the virus and the fatalities it caused has made the world go into a global pandemic. Chris Cuomo contracted the virus, and despite the health damage it presented, he fulfilled his responsibilities honorably by broadcasting his scheduled Cuomo primetime show in his house while recovering from the virus (Lauricella, 2020). By doing the show, he let people know more knowledge about the virus, and that ultimately helped Americans. However, his role in interviewing his brother Andrew Cuomo causes issues with the integrity of journalism interviews.

Answering the questions and explaining the concerns Americans had was a good gesture by Chris because people are nervous and scared of all the infections and deaths, and need clarity from somebody dealing with this issue. I support the decision of him being on the show helping Americans questions with Covid-19. However, Chris should not have been allowed to interview his brother on CNN because it places him in a position where he could neglect to fulfill his role as a journalist asking the difficult questions that people in the area need answers for. Journalists are required to ask difficult questions that potentially could place the interviewee under fire, and Chris probably would avoid putting his brother Andrew in that position. It feels too unprofessional to have brotherly interaction during the interview because important matters need to be addressed (Pech & Leibel, 2006).

Although the brothers create entertaining shows and viewership is important (Lauricella, 2020). The integrity of the interview should be at the forefront to avoid any incidents of doctoring the interview and protecting the Governor. Journalism is a dying market, and the integrity of the industry should be placed in front of entertainment and views.

Bibliography

Lauricella, S. (2020). Pandemic prime time for the Cuomo brothers: Ethics, objectivity, and relationships in journalism. Media Ethics Initiative. https://mediaengagement.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/80-Brothers-in-News-Case-Study.pdf

Pech, G., & Leibel, R (2006). Writing in solidarity: Steps toward an ethic of care for journalism. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 21(2–3), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/08900523.2006.9679730