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Word broke this morning: MSNBC cancels Mehdi Hasan’s show
Fox, the Daily Caller, and other right-wing voices are responding with glee.
Thousands of people are urging MSNBC to reconsider. Congressman Maxwell Frost says, "I just signed this petition and you should too!"
Mehdi is known for challenging power, questioning conventional wisdom, and giving oxygen to narratives that counter the establishment.
Many important guests do his show specifically because he is seen as an honest broker. Everyone from AOC to former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain have done his show.
To be clear, there was no instigating outrage. No shocking new thing.
In fact, Mehdi was on the Daily Show last night plugging his MSNBC show. He was acceptable (and cool) enough for the Daily Show, and MSNBC let him go out and promote the network, and then they blindside one of their best hosts? That is not ok.
Media history is littered with voices that got in the door, resonated with the public, and were shut out because they challenged just a little too much power. Ed Schultz was kicked off MSNBC when he was a little too pro-union and too pro-Bernie at the time.
It’s a huge programming mistake to kick voices like Mehdi Hasan off the air instead of asking: Why are they resonating with the public as they challenge power and question conventional wisdom?
It’s also a huge step back for our democracy, which is increasingly challenged by misinformation and top-down voices. We need more independent voices in the conversation, trying to find the truth, even if we don’t agree with everything they say.
Thank you.
-- The PCCC Team
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