Channel president says change goals to place community in ‘better position’ for the 2024 US elections, The Hill stories.
Washington, DC – MSNBC has cancelled Mehdi Hasan’s weekend TV programme, sparking anger from many Palestinian rights supporters who think about the progressive host a uncommon critic of Israeli insurance policies on United States cable information.
The choice, first reported by the information web site Semafor on Thursday, got here amid what advocates describe as a crackdown on criticism in opposition to Israel within the media, at universities and within the arts. The nation is at present conducting a military offensive in Gaza that has killed greater than 15,000 Palestinians, prompting human rights issues.
Left-wing Congressman Ro Khanna mentioned cancelling the present through the battle is “bad optics” for the community.
“As a strong supporter of free speech, MSNBC owes the public an explanation for this decision,” Khanna wrote in a social media put up. “Why would they choose to do this now?”
Semafor reported that Hasan’s present will likely be changed by extending information anchor Ayman Mohyeldin’s self-titled programme to 2 hours. Mohyeldin, who’s Arab American, can be a critic of the Israeli authorities.
Hasan will likely be retained by the community as an on-screen analyst, US media retailers indicated.
In a word to workers quoted by the publication The Hill, MSNBC President Rashida Jones mentioned the reshuffle goals to “better position” the community because it heads into the 2024 US elections. MSNBC didn’t instantly reply to Al Jazeera’s request for remark.
Palestinian American human rights lawyer Noura Erakat known as the programme “more needed than ever”.
“He should be amplified, not shut down,” Erakat wrote in a put up on X, previously Twitter.
MSNBC cancels Mehdi Hasan’s present@msnbc make this make sense. @mehdirhasan’s program has felt like an oasis on air and extra wanted than ever. His program w Mark Regev was a complete class on journalistic methodology. He needs to be amplified,not shut down. https://t.co/r5Saq1ssdm#Gaza
— Noura Erakat (@4noura) November 30, 2023
A persistent interviewer recognized for confronting visitors about false claims and previous statements, Hasan beforehand labored as an Al Jazeera host. He additionally was a senior columnist at The Intercept, a information web site.
This month on his programme, he deployed his trademark interviewing fashion to query Israeli authorities adviser Mark Regev about false claims promoted by Israeli officers. In a single instance, Hasan pointed to an occasion during which a calendar in a Gaza hospital was introduced as a listing of Hamas operatives.
“We shouldn’t blindly believe anything Hamas says. But why should we believe what your government says, either?” Hasan requested.
After a prolonged back-and-forth, Regev acknowledged that Israel might have dedicated “mistakes” in placing out such info.
Creator Sarah Kendzior pointed to that section as she questioned MSNBC’s determination to nix Hasan’s present.
“They canceled Mehdi Hasan for interviews like this — evidence-based and willing to challenge power — and it is doubtful he will be the only journalist pushed out for daring to practice journalism,” she wrote in a social media put up.
On Thursday, US journalist David Sirota famous that Hasan has reported critically on each Republicans and Democrats.
“Canceling him is another step in the deliberate homogenization of news content into pure red-vs-blue infotainment,” Sirota wrote on X.
There’s a historical past of US journalists being penalised for his or her criticism of Israel. In 2018, CNN sacked Marc Lamont Hill as a contributor over a speech at a United Nations assembly in help of Palestinian rights. Hill now hosts the programme UpFront on Al Jazeera.
In 2021, The Related Press information company additionally fired a young reporter over social media posts in help of Palestinian rights.
