When you are a TV news journalist, you don’t want to follow the news cycle, you want to lead it. CNN’s Jim Acosta this week conducted an interview that has been leading the news cycle since it happened.
It all started with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie‘s appearance on “The Late Show” Monday, in which he called himself “The healthiest fat guy you ever met.”
On CNN Tuesday, Acosta spoke to former White House doctor Connie Mariano about his comments, and she expressed concern about the Governor’s weight. The interview appeared on “The Situation Room” and “AC360,” among other programs.
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Typically, that would be the end of the story, except that Christie wasn’t going to let the comment slip by.
In a press conference (about something else entirely), Christie responded to a question about her comments by saying that she is “just another hack who wants five minutes on TV,” and that she should “shut up” unless she examines him herself.
Just like that, the news cycle exploded. CBS News, NBC News, Bloomberg and ABC News all covered the CNN interview and Christie’s response. CNN itself aired a few segments on Christie’s comments as well.
All in all, a very good week for Acosta and CNN.