Cuomo Prime Time is a return of the evening show with Chris Cuomo featuring his very effective One on One format of extended interviews with key influencers. In this segment, Cuomo talks with Rudy Giuliani about the 568-page Justice Department IG Report examining the 2016 election: “A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election.”
Commentary
This interview is significant because it’s an example of how news media can be reforming and improving. At a time when pundits and influencers on various sides are demonized and vilified, a show like this helps humanize people.
Cuomo closes this segment saying, “I appreciate you coming on to make the case. You are always welcome here to do so, and we will always be fair in doing that. You’ll get more time here than anywhere else.” He makes an effort to ensure that his guests feel the show is worthwhile.
Here are some points to observe:
- Rather than just having guests who reaffirm the network and moderator’s views, there should be guests who hold contrary views.
- Rather than interrupting and shouting at those who disagree with us, instead, give them a chance to complete a few sentences and clearly explain their views and positions.
- Those involved in reporting the news have an obligation to distill and reflect the variety of viewpoints in society, and an array of topics that are of interest to people.
- If a guest evades answering a question, respectfully ask them again, but don’t badger them.
- Being complementary, respectful, patient, attentive, and sincere should be the norm.
The critical underlying story these days, in everything we see on the news, is about restoring public trust in national news media. That is equally important as the content itself.