CNN did the right thing, but the Cuomo scandal distorts reality in a far different way than Carlson touting a conspiracy theorist. In this case, the public never heard the truth because of deep-seated bias—a “journalist” who was in the tank for the person he covered. Then again, Chris Cuomo’s behind-the-scenes efforts arguably are less egregious than the shilling he did for his brother on the air.

Perhaps we’re just seeing a return to the days of “yellow journalism.” The term springs from a popular color cartoon (the Yellow Kid) published in The New York World in the late 1890s, but came to refer to a sensationalistic, profit-driven news approach. According to the federal Office of the Historian, such coverage had dire consequences by stoking pro-war sentiments after the sinking of the Maine.

You don’t need me to describe the ill effects of a world where viewers can’t distinguish Walter Cronkite from Alex Jones, but here we are. I admit that I didn’t see it coming.