Friday, March 15, 2024

Journalist, Broadcaster, Public Intellectual, Activist, and Former MSNBC Host Mehdi Hasan on the Ongoing Deadly Genocide in Gaza, and the Surging Rise of Fascism in the United States

Mehdi Hasan on Genocide in Gaza, the Silencing of Palestinian Voices in U.S. Media & Trump's Fascism

Acclaimed journalist Mehdi Hasan joins us to discuss U.S. media coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza and how the war is a genocide being abetted by the United States. Hasan says U.S. media is overwhelmingly pro-Israel and fails to convey the truth to audiences. "Palestinian voices not being on American television or in American print is one of the biggest problems when it comes to our coverage of this conflict," he says. Hasan has just launched a new media company, Zeteo, which he started after the end of his weekly news program on MSNBC and Peacock earlier this year. The cable network announced it was canceling his show in November. The move drew considerable outrage, with critics slamming MSNBC for effectively silencing one of the most prominent Muslim voices in U.S. media. Hasan also warns U.S. media coverage of the 2024 election is largely unable to capture the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump and the modern Republican Party. “We need to speak very clearly about what that fascist threat is,” says Hasan, who warns media outlets cannot “normalize his extremism and racism and bigotry,” because the right to free press itself could be under threat if he regains power. “One of our two major parties has been fully radicalized and is now in bed with white supremacists. … Let’s be plain about that.”  

00:10 Intro 

3:48   U.S. Media  

15:52 Gaza  

27:52 Covering Trump & Fascism  

30:40 Banning TikTok 

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

 

VIDEO:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJGumuVW2iA