Media watchers say if Oprah Winfrey decides to run for president in 2020, her close friend, Gayle King, would likely have to leave her job as co-anchor of "CBS This Morning," Fox News reports.
A presidential bid by Winfrey would pose a potential conflict of interest for King and could damage public confidence in the reporting by CBS News, the experts said.
Winfrey and King have been friends since working at a Baltimore television station years ago.
Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, said King's position with CBS "is like having an Oprah press spokesperson on staff."
"She's helping Oprah milk the speculation for all it's worth," he said.
And Mark Feldstein, a professor of journalism at the University of Maryland, said King would have to be removed from campaign stories if Winfrey ran.
"The public needs to be assured that the news they get is as objective as humanly possible," Feldstein said. "That obviously is not the case if an anchor is reporting on a close friend."
Al Tompkins, an instructor in broadcast journalism for the Poynter Institute, added: "Today, with so many people being so skeptical or cynical of what they see, hear and read in journalism, the cleaner we can keep the lines between journalists and politicians the better."
King spent several hours talking with Winfrey at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, according to Fox News.
King noted on "CBS Morning News" that she did not think Winfrey was actually considering a presidential bid.
But she added: "You know, I was up talking to her very late last night. I do think this though, guys. I do think she's intrigued by the idea."
Meanwhile, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, whose brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is said to be a possible presidential contender, said King has to step down if Winfrey runs, Fox News said.
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