Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR

Lack of propriety and situational awareness while using popular video conferencing software due to social distancing has claimed another victim. Multiple media outlets are reporting that CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is officially “on leave” from the network and has been suspended from the New Yorker magazine after “accidentally exposing himself” during a video call with colleagues. 

VICE broke news of the subsequent suspension. Still, it was picked up fast by other networks looking for an edge with viewers heading into the home stretch of the presidential election and SCOTUS confirmation hearing coverage. And that was just the first domino to fall. 

Jeffrey Toobin
(Photo source: Twitter)

After Toobin was sidelined during what would have otherwise been an around-the-clock reporting opportunity over the next few weeks, The New Yorker announced the suspension and promotions related to Toobin’s recent book were put on indefinite hold as, to quote CNN, “Jeff Toobin (takes) time off to deal with a personal issue…” 

Toobin quickly spoke up about the incident, saying: “I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera… I apologize to my wife, family, friends, and coworkers… I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the call could see me. I thought I had muted the video…” 

As the story circulated, two sources claimed to be on the video call came forward, offering more details about the incident, causing Toobin and his employer’s further embarrassment. Speaking to other media outlets, a spokesperson for The New Yorker said leadership at the publication was investigating the matter. 

As publicly embarrassing as this incident may be, both for Toobin and for the media brands where he works, it’s far from the only embarrassing incident that happened on video conference calls since much of the nations started working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions. Some news outlets are running regular or recurring segments showing embarrassing incidents, and one insurance company has a commercial entirely dedicated to common miscues. 

From “potato boss” to accidental nudity, fumbling with the controls, loud arguments, and people in the background shouting profanity, the “tech user gap” created when video conferencing software becoming almost universal has yet to be entirely bridged. 

The nature of Toobin’s “mistake” guarantees it will get more attention. Still, the applicable takeaway here is that large and small companies need to do a better job protecting their brands from similar human error. People will make mistakes, and being at home, in a familiar and comfortable environment makes it easy to let your guard down and act in a way a person may never do in a structured work setting. 

Safeguards should be put in place and clearly communicated to all team members, then repeated as necessary. People might still make mistakes, but a proactive approach should reduce the odds, the embarrassment, and the need to address an unnecessary negative PR issue.

About the Author: Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading public relations agency.