CNN boss Jeff Zucker defends his anchors becoming more 'opinionated and emotional': It's 'human' and 'real'

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Media top headlines May 12

White House reporters allowing the Biden administration to edit their quotes and more round out today's top media headlines

CNN President Jeff Zucker defended what The Washington Post described as the transformation of his network's "more opinionated and emotional" news anchors. 

"One of the things that I’ve tried to encourage is authenticity and being real," Zucker told the Post on Wednesday. "If we pretend not to be human, it’s not real."

The Post reported how Zucker had given his talent the "green light" to "say what they actually want to say — even if it strikes some as opinionated," noting how "it’s not uncommon for CNN personalities to cry on air."

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Zucker recalled an exchange he had with CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, who apologized for getting choked up on-air back in January while reporting on the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic. 

"What I told her was, ‘Don’t ever apologize like that again,’ " Zucker said. "She was just being real. She’s a human being. She was expressing an emotion that probably many people in the audience were feeling. And I’m totally comfortable with that happening on television. What people react to is authenticity and reality."

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Despite the over-the-top anti-Republican rhetoric that is regularly heard on his network, Zucker did acknowledge that there have been occasions where his talent crosses the line, though he refrained from sharing specifics.

"There are times where I’ve called folks and said, ‘Hey, I think that might have been a little too much,’ " Zucker told the Post. "That’s the role of the coach. The coach is supposed to encourage you and then bring you back."

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The CNN boss also expressed support for "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor Chris Cuomo, who has been under fire in recent months for avoiding the scandals plaguing his brother, Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after previously conducting chummy interviews and prop comedy in the early months of the pandemic. 

"Although he wouldn’t discuss the network’s decision-making about Cuomo, Zucker said the controversy has ‘changed nothing’ in his view of the host’s role in CNN’s future. 'Not at all,' he repeated," the Post reported. 

Zucker signaled earlier this year that he would "move on" from CNN when his contract expires at the end of 2021.