Journalists accuse the governor of New York. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoCNN to replace Zucker with Chris Licht: report Former hedge fund manager announces GOP bid for New York governor Former CNN executive discussed interview topics with Andrew Cuomo: report MORE (D) to increasingly limit press access as allegations against him mount.
They say Cuomo cuts off reporters who ask tough questions and taps reporters who are unlikely to ask questions about the investigations he faces.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the governor interrupted New York Law Journal reporter Ryan Tarinelli when he began asking a follow-up question after asking if Cuomo could resign if a sexual harassment investigation revealed that he had violated state law.
Cuomo first said, “Let’s see what the report says, and then we’ll take it from there,” then Tarinelli’s microphone was cut off.
Local media noted the interaction, and Tarinelli confirmed the incident on Twitter that day.
Yes, I got cut off trying to follow up on this. https://t.co/TOena46w91
— Ryan Tarinelli (@ryantarinelli) April 21, 2021
The sexual harassment allegations that Tarinelli asked about are one of the many controversies Cuomo faces.
The governor has come under fire for his handling of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes last year, over allegations he provided preferential COVID-19 testing resources for family and caregivers. friends, and for allegedly using state resources to help produce a brief chronicling his response to the pandemic.
The interaction with Tarinelli is just one example, according to reporters, of the control Cuomo staff exerts over the media in the wake of the scandals.
A spokesman for the governor did not respond to questions about whether Cuomo deliberately interrupted reporters or avoided difficult questions during press briefings.
But reporters say it’s clear the governor’s press interactions have become increasingly restrictive as the scandals mount.
“It’s definitely something that has gotten worse,” said a reporter who works for a major national media outlet and asked to remain anonymous.
“Yeah, I think that’s it,” agreed Dan Clark, former president of the Legislative Correspondents Association and editor and host of “New York NOW,” a program that covers Albany for PBS affiliate WMHT.
The shift to virtual press conferences last fall, Clark said, has allowed Cuomo’s press team to more tightly control press briefings, as Zoom makes it easier to mute reporters like Tarinelli, limit follow-up questions and choose journalists authorized to interview. Cuomo.
“It’s a coincidence that you’re allowed to ask more than one question,” Clark said. “Sometimes the microphone is on, and sometimes it’s off. The governor’s staff selects reporters who can ask questions. And based on that, they have an idea of what the questions will be about.
The national reporter agreed. “Anyone will tell you, you can’t ask a question unless selected by the administration’s communications team,” she said. “It’s very difficult, to say the least.”
Often, Clark said, Cuomo staff tend to bring in local reporters from across the state who focus on local issues.
“A reporter from Syracuse, for example, will ask about the cancellation of the state fair,” Clark said. “Now the state fair is a very big source of business, especially for Syracuse. But at the same time, the governor is not being asked about sexual assaults.
When asked why Cuomo’s press briefings were still being held virtually, the governor’s spokesperson referenced an exchange Cuomo had during a Monday press conference.
“When will the journalists be back in the room? Cuomo said. “It just depends on the safety requirements related to COVID-19. How many people can you have in a room? You know, when we make a call like this, we can get 200 reporters listening and calling. If we’re having an event in town, you can easily get 50 reporters in a small room like this.
The White House is holding in-person briefings while adhering to social distancing restrictions and capacity limits. Cuomo’s office did not address the comparisons.
In addition to restrictions at press conferences, reporters have called out Cuomo for preventing the press from attending his public appearances.
“Governor Andrew Cuomo is currently hosting an event closed to the press. Alongside him are Democratic Senator @toddkaminsky and Congresswoman @judygriffinny,” Morgan Mckay, New York State political reporter for Spectrum News, tweeted Thursday.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is currently hosting an event closed to the press. Appearing alongside him, the Democratic senator @toddkaminsky and deputy @judygriffinny.
—Morgan Mckay (@morganfmckay) April 22, 2021
On Thursday, the New York Journalists Association penned an op-ed to local New York newspapers calling on Cuomo to “restore full press access to his events and restore in-person press conferences.”
Blocking the press from events is a tactic, Clark explained, a way for Cuomo to get free, non-controversial public relations.
“All politics is local. And if he shows up in Hempstead and hosts an event, the Long Island newspapers will cover it,” Clark said. “So people will see it there. And even if he doesn’t have to answer questions, he’s making headlines.
Clark predicted that Cuomo’s staff would punish him for talking to The Hill.
“Reporters and journalists who criticize [Cuomo’s] access with the press no longer gets that access,” Clark said.
“It’s a vicious cycle,” he added. “If you speak out against them or criticize them or even tweet something they don’t like, they don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”
Cuomo’s spokesman did not respond when asked to comment on the allegation that the office punishes critical reporters.
