CNN Closes Offices to ‘Nonessential’ Employees After COVID Surge at Network – Opinion

CNN’s Jeff Zucker told employees yesterday that it would be closing its offices to nonessential employees because of rising COVID cases at the network.

“If your job does not require you to be in the office in order to do it, please work from elsewhere,” Mr. Zucker said in the memo.

Mr. Zucker said the network would be making changes to studios and control rooms to “minimize the number of people in our spaces.”

The network, which had been using its full-scale studios for its shows, will go back to using “flash studios.” These are small studios that can be operated remotely by fewer people, according to a person familiar with the matter.

According to Mr. Zucker, employees will need masks for eating and drinking in the office, or when they’re alone in a private room.

CNN employees must be immunized. They have fired three workers for being unvaccinated.

These are my thoughts.

First, I have to admit my initial thought was: Exactly who are “essential employees” at CNN? We don’t need any of these folks to be there. Indeed, we’d all be better if they all stayed home and CNN closed up completely. Given the news about Chris Cuomo, CNN producers and others, what is their purpose in doing these jobs?

Then, I would note this followed the announcement from CNN “New Day” anchor Brianna Keilar that she had “symptomatic COVID.”

I was diagnosed with symptomatic covid. It is so good to know that my protection has been doubled and even boosted. Before you gather with your friends, be aware of potential exposures.

— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) December 17, 2021

She announces that she has it despite being “double vaccinated and boosted” then encourages people to do the same. I’m not quite sure that’s the flex that she thinks it is. And if CNN is facing a rising surge in cases where everyone is required to be vaccinated, that’s not exactly a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” there.

Some also pointed out that CNN and Keilar’s announcements followed the “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party where many were seen unmasked in pictures and asked if Keilar had been in attendance. Here’s Jake Tapper posting some of the pictures and saying that they only took off the masks for the pictures (because the virus takes a holiday when you’re taking pictures).

These are some amazing entries for the CNN Christmas sweater contest. All were vaccinated, and the masks were removed for photos. pic.twitter.com/CcO0SsPc5R

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 15, 2021

pic.twitter.com/SsKzPi1pk3

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 15, 2021

pic.twitter.com/NLtN1FuhqH

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 15, 2021

Except you can see the folks in the background who aren’t masked.

Now, we know had this been Fox, that CNN would be all over this screaming, “Science, science, science! Where are people’s masks! Those evil Fox people!” I’d also point out how CNN took shots at the Southwest CEO for testifying unmasked and then coming down with COVID.

One could wish that CNN learned something, and stopped being a propagandist network. But since it’s CNN, that would be a vain hope, because they wouldn’t.