CNN’s latest political hire is making major waves or perhaps better described, the hiring of Sarah Isgur has created a tsunami. It’s well-known cable networks hire partisan analysts to give their opinions but Isgur was hired to be among those in charge of editorial decisions in the upcoming campaign and she is far from nonpartisan. The new politics editor was most recently the spokesperson for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Before that, she worked on campaigns for the likes of Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina and Mitt Romney. But that just scratches the surface. Here are some other reasons why people say Isgur has no business helping run a department at CNN.

  • She has no journalism experience (NY Magazine opines “Isgur isn’t a journalist. She’s a professional flack who spread damaging and untrue narratives”)
  • Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey writes that she pledged loyalty to Donald Trump in the Oval Office after Jeff Sessions (then Attorney General) hired her as his spokesperson
  • She has heavily criticized CNN in the past including once dubbing the news organizations the “Clinton News Network“
  • She has indicated climate change is not a a threat

GQ writes:

With this hire, CNN plunges further into the sort of messy, tit-for-tat process that does more to undermine its credibility than anything the president could ever say. Elevating an unabashed partisan to a nonpartisan role is an obvious disservice to viewers at home, who count on the network’s independence; the move signals that CNN is less interested in rigorous journalism than it is in performing even-handedness. 

As for how employees at CNN are reacting, the Daily Beast received the following quotes from staffers:

  • “It’s extremely demoralizing for everyone here.”
  • “People are generally confused.”
  • “Very bizarre.”

The blowback doesn’t seem to be changing the minds of whoever hired her. The Hollywood Reporter writes about a memo that was sent to CNN’s political staff Wednesday, where management defended the new employee.

In the memo, the CNN managers sang Flores’ praises as someone who “brings a wealth of government, political, communications, and legal experience to our team,” not specifically mentioning her experience in the Trump administration. “We’re thrilled that Sarah is coming to CNN.”

Flores will join CNN on March 11. “She will spend the first few months here getting to know our systems and our people,” staffers were told in the memo. “Eventually we plan to have her play a coordinating role in our daily political coverage — helping to organize and communicate between newsgathering, digital and television. With two dozen candidates to cover, constant coordination is needed more than ever.”

But late Thursday The Daily Beast learned there will be at least one limit to her work.