Topline
CNN’s Chief Marketing Officer Allison Gollust has resigned from the company after an internal investigation found she had violated company policies by failing to disclose a workplace relationship, marking the latest fallout in the network’s investigation into the conduct of its former prime time news anchor Chris Cuomo.
The investigation found that Allison Gollust, former CNN president Jeff Zucker and former anchor … [+]
Key Facts
Gollust’s departure was announced in an internal memo sent out to staffers by WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar outlining the company’s internal probe “into issues associated with” former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo and his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In the memo, Kilar said that the company’s probe found violations of company policies “including CNN’s News Standards and Practices” by former CNN president Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Cuomo himself.
The investigation found that Gollust and Zucker—who resigned earlier this month—had failed to disclose a consensual romantic relationship.
According to CNN, Gollust said that the relationship “changed during Covid” and she regrets that they did not disclose it at the right time.
Hours before the memo was made public, the New York Times reported fresh details about a sexual misconduct claim that purportedly hastened Cuomo’s firing in December.
In the memo, Kilar added that based on the information provided to him, he “strongly” believes that the right decisions have been made.
Chief Critic
Following news of her departure, Gollust released a statement which said: “WarnerMedia’s statement tonight is an attempt to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks. It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNN’s highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave.”
Key Background
Earlier this month, CNN President Jeff Zucker resigned from the network after admitting that he had failed to disclose his relationship with Gollust. In a note sent to CNN staffers, Zucker said he did not disclose a relationship he had with his “closest colleague” that “evolved in recent years,” despite being “required” to do so. Questions about the relationship came up as part of the network’s investigation into former anchor Chris Cuomo which was triggered by a report from the New York state attorney general in November. The report revealed that the CNN anchor was deeply involved in the defense strategy of his brother Andrew Cuomo, who was forced to resign as New York governor following accusations of sexual harassment.
Further Reading
Top CNN exec resigns as WarnerMedia chief accuses her and former network boss Zucker of standards violations (CNN)
CNN Marketing Chief Resigns as Probe Finds Wrongdoing by Three Top Players at Network (Wall Street Journal)
CNN President Jeff Zucker Resigns Over Relationship With ‘Closest Colleague’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/02/16/cnn-marketing-chief-allison-gollust-resigns-as-probe-accuses-her-jeff-zucker-and-chris-cuomo-of-company-policy-violations/