We’re about seven months into Zoom being the new norm for communication during the pandemic, yet some people still can’t seem to get the hang of it. A reporter for The New Yorker is in hot water after exposing himself on a Zoom call with colleagues.
Vice first reported on Monday that The New Yorker had suspended acclaimed reporter Jeffrey Toobin for the incident. The New Yorker is looking into the matter.
“I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends, and co-workers,” Toobin told Motherboard. “I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video.”
The call was an election simulation featuring members of both The New Yorker and WNYC. Sources who were on Zoom told Vice that Toobin seemed unaware that his colleagues had seen him inappropriately touching himself.
CNN said in a statement that Toobin, who is their chief legal analyst, has taken some time off from the publication to “deal with a personal issue.” His Conde Nast email is no longer valid, and an upcoming event relating to Toobin’s recent book, True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump, has been postponed.
Neither news outlet said how long the ashamed reporter would be out. Toobin has worked at The New Yorker for more than 20 years and joined CNN in 2002.
Twitter quickly latched onto the moment, with #MeToobin a trending hashtag.
https://twitter.com/sykginja/status/1318529158474027014?s=20
UPDATE: According to @VICENews @JeffreyToobin was choking the ol’ Chicken …
YIKES #MeToobin https://t.co/M3zobuH7jf— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) October 20, 2020
Don't worry, he won't be gone for shlong https://t.co/elDuI6r58q
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 19, 2020
