On Wednesday night’s “Ingraham Angle,” Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo suggested CNN programming has become like a series of “reality shows” because three of the network’s on-air talents have tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Laura, the first rule of journalism is, ‘Don’t inject yourself into the story,’ but there seems to be a deliberate attempt to graft a slew of CNN anchors onto this COVID crisis,” Arroyo, a children’s book author, said. “A number of them have contracted the virus and emoted their personal experiences. It almost appears they’ve launched a series of new reality shows. You could call this one, ‘Are You Sicker Than a CNN Anchor?’”
Producers rolled clips of CNN’s Brooke Baldwin, Chris Cuomo and Richard Quest discussing their diagnoses and how the sickness feels, along with Dr. Sanjay Gupta getting an antibody test and Don Lemon crying over Cuomo’s diagnosis.
Arroyo called their comments “referential emoting” and “galling,” adding the decision to have on-air talent discuss their symptoms and tests is “disturbing.”
“You lose all perspective,” he said. “It’s great to have perspective, but to become the story is a big problem here, and CNN really should tamp down their personal stories. It’s too much.”
“We’re glad everybody’s getting better. They’re always kind of nasty to us but like, I just hope they’re — I’m sure they’re all great people. I hope they’re all okay and I’m glad they’re okay but I don’t really get it. I guess, is that the news?”