MSNBC just shockingly announced that it is canceling "The Mehdi Hasan Show," one of the highest-rated MSNBC shows on the weekend and one of the most viral shows on the network.

Sign the petition to tell MSNBC: DO NOT cancel "The Mehdi Hasan Show"!

Dear MoveOn member,

MSNBC just shockingly announced that it is canceling "The Mehdi Hasan Show," one of the highest-rated MSNBC shows on the weekend and one of the most viral shows on the network.1 Mehdi Hasan is a reputable and celebrated journalist, and one of the few Muslim broadcasters currently on air. The decision to cancel his show is a blow to audiences who look to Hasan for his fair and sharp political analysis and interviews. We need to urgently make our voices heard and demand that MSNBC continue "The Mehdi Hasan Show" in the coming year! Will you add your name to the petition?

"The Mehdi Hasan Show" has been running for three years, first on MSNBC and now on its sister streaming network Peacock. John Nichols from The Nation called Mehdi Hasan "the best interviewer in American news right now."2 Following the announcement, there has been a public outcry to renew "The Mehdi Hasan Show," but disappointingly the show is set to sunset by the end of the year.

Save "The Mehdi Hasan Show" and sign the petition to demand MSNBC and Peacock renew it immediately.

MSNBC also recently came under fire in October, when it temporarily removed three of its Muslim broadcasters, including Hasan, from their hosting spots after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israelis and the Israeli military's escalating campaign of bombardment against Palestinians.3 ​​It is unacceptable for a trusted major news network like MSNBC to silence Muslim broadcasters by limiting their reporting perspectives when their expertise is both relevant and needed, and this latest decision to cancel “The Mehdi Hasan Show” is especially concerning. By canceling "The Mehdi Hasan Show," MSNBC is sending a dangerous message about whose voices should be heard at this moment—and whose voices it will silence. 

Sign the petition to demand that MSNBC renew "The Mehdi Hasan Show" and commit to supporting all its Muslim broadcasters!

We value the expertise of Mehdi Hasan. Add your name and show MSNBC that audiences want "The Mehdi Hasan Show" renewed immediately!

Many of Hasan's high-profile interviews have gone viral, and he was most recently praised for his quick and sharp interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's senior advisor Mark Regev. There are concerns that the decision by MSNBC to cancel "The Mehdi Hasan Show" is backlash related to Hasan’s vocal criticism of Netanyahu and the Israeli government’s brutal military attacks that have killed nearly 16,000 Palestinians over the past two months.4,5 Given the current humanitarian crisis, it is unacceptable for a trusted major news network like MSNBC to remove a show like Hasan's, which has been a critical source of information and political analysis in this moment.

The integrity of American media rests on journalists and news broadcasters being able to ask probing and difficult questions. MSNBC and Peacock should value the expertise of their Muslim broadcasters in this moment, not sideline or silence them. Add your name to the petition.

Biased media reporting is not only unethical and immoral—it's dangerous. Both Jews and Muslims are among the most frequently targeted groups for religiously motivated hate crimes.6 And disturbing research has linked negative news portrayals of Muslims and Muslim Americans with increased hostility toward Muslim Americans.7 With heightened concerns about discrimination and violence, major news outlets need to be especially responsible in their journalism and refrain from bias that could stoke hate in viewers.

Add your name to demand that MSNBC reverse its decision to cancel "The Mehdi Hasan Show" and affirm its commitment to fair and balanced reporting NOW.

In 2020 there was public outrage after MSNBC news host Joy Reid made anti-Muslim remarks on air.8 The public pressure resulted in a public acknowledgement from Reid and an entire extended segment of her show addressing media stereotypes about Muslims.9 Public dissent worked then, and it can work now. Add your name to the petition and call on MSNBC to do the right thing!

People in our country depend on news and media outlets for informed and balanced reporting. We need MSNBC to live up to its standards of journalism and ethics, and that starts by supporting Mehdi Hasan and all its Muslim broadcasters. Will you sign the petition and then share with three friends to help spread the word?

Thanks for all you do.

–Aliya, Mana, Jensine, Chloe, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Sunday, June 18 Scoreboard: Fox News Is No. 1 in Total Viewers; Mehdi Hasan Climbs to No. 1 at 8 PM Among Adults 25-54," TV Newser, June 1, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185393?t=11&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

2. "American Discourse Needs More Mehdi Hasan, Not Less," The Nation, December 1, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185394?t=13&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

3. "The Fight Over MSNBC’s Cave-in to Islamophobia," The Nation, October 16, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/184688?t=15&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

4. "MSNBC draws backlash for canceling Mehdi Hasan show," The Washington Post, November 30, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185395?t=17&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

5. "Israel-Hamas war live: World Food Programme says 'catastrophic hunger crisis' is intensifying in Gaza," The Guardian, December 5, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/185396?t=19&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

6. "Report to the Nation 2023: Faith Under Fire," Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, accessed December 5, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/184689?t=21&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

7. "Yes, Muslims are portrayed negatively in American media—2 political scientists reviewed over 250,000 articles to find conclusive evidence," The Conversation, May 27, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/184690?t=23&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

8. "Uh, What Did Joy Reid Just Say About Muslims on MSNBC?" Slate, September 1, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/184686?t=25&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

9. "Joy Reid Devotes Segment To Muslim Stereotypes In Media After Outcry Over Her Comment About 'Radicalizing People,'" Deadline, September 2, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/184693?t=27&akid=370807%2E40999114%2EPEB5l-

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