Eliot Spitzer Avoided Coverage of Schwarzenegger Scandal Although CNN Reported It Every Other Hour Tuesday Evening

May 18th, 2011 4:57 PM

Every hour but one of CNN's Tuesday evening news coverage featured at least a mention of former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's marital infidelity. Guess which anchor backed away from any mention of the scandal?

Schwarzenegger's revelation of his fathering a child with a mistress was one of the day's leading headlines, and merited a mention if not a segment on most every CNN news hour Tuesday. During its 5 p.m.-12 a.m. EDT coverage, CNN reported the story every hour except during the 8 p.m. EDT slot – the prime-time show In the Arena with Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer made no mention of the story.

Spitzer was embroiled in a scandal of his own just three years ago as governor of New York. A federal wiretap linked him to a high-end prostitution ring, and he resigned his office abruptly after the news was made public.

NewsBusters reported earlier today that CNN, in its Tuesday coverage of political sex scandals, shied away from mentioning Spitzer's exploits as governor of New York. They did, however, name six notable scandals and also showed brief news clips of others.

Spitzer did find time to offer extensive coverage of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's rape allegations. He also hosted for a sympathetic interview the CEO of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, Rick Welts, who has publicly revealed that he is gay.