Critics claim Anderson Cooper ‘came out to boost ratings’
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper has enjoyed plenty of support after coming out this week but not everyone has been so charitable.
Some critics have claimed that the broadcaster made his declaration to boost CNN’s flagging ratings.
Television personality Star Jones, speaking on the Today show, suggested that Cooper was revealing personal details to stop his ratings slipping.
She said: “He’s a daytime talk show host and when the rating slip in daytime, the hosts tend to tell you lots of things about them.”
Jones went on to compare Anderson to Oprah Winfrey, who she said had done the same thing.
“I remember Oprah said she smoked crack, Oprah said she was pregnant at 14 and considered suicide,” Jones said. “There [are] times when you generate information for ratings.”
The New York Post also took aim at Cooper, with a short article in today’s edition.
The newspaper wrote: “Left-leaning cable network CNN has dropped to a 21-year ratings low, making Anderson Cooper so desperate for attention, he surprised no one by coming out as gay.”
Cooper confirmed his sexual orientation in an email to the Daily Beast, which he allowed to be published on Monday.
He used Twitter yesterday to thank fans for their support but has made no further comment on the story.
