Joseph Spector reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that as the COVID-19 numbers improve around the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sees fewer reporters. During the worst of the coronavirus pandemic Cuomo won an Emmy for meeting with reporters in person every day, and answering many questions in televised media briefings. Now, though, vaccines are easy to get, and the number of hospitalizations keeps falling. And Cuomo is seeing fewer reporters. The governor, however, is not camera shy, as he continues to hold events for announcements made-for-TV in very large venues with numerous elected officials and local leaders in attendance. But no press is allowed, because of COVID-19 restrictions, his administration officials claim. Instead, Cuomo occasionally answers the many questions about his myriad scandals in Zoom and phone conference calls, where his aides choose friendly reporters to ask the questions. "Every public official, including the governor, should subject themselves to questions from the media because that’s the public’s surrogate," said Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group. "The media is there to ask the questions that the public wants to have asked and wants to know the answers to." But the governor has just one answer for reporters on this subject. "When will reporters be back in the room? That is purely a function of the COVID safety requirements," Cuomo said April 20. There is more to read about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.