MSNBC Cancels Medhi Hasan and Yasmin Vossoughian

[djacq]

Removing a Muslim host and a Iranian American host from the national spotlight during the midst of the Israel–Hamas war.

And, both are people of color.

Corporate media is at it again.

[link:MSNBC Cancels Show Of Outspoken Journalist Mehdi Hasan In Weekend Program Shakeup
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/msnbc-cancels-mehdi-hasan-show-weekend-shakeup_n_6568d4ece4b066e398b6e31c|

[mahina]

1. DISGUSTING

aaaaaaaarrrgh


They'd better keep their grubby mitts of of Ali Velshi and Joy Reid

MFers

[Rebl2]

11. Agreed

[bdamomma]

55. I hope

this dismissal doesn't stop them vocalizing their views.

[elleng]

2. Hasan, who will remain with the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host,

informed his staff of the decision on Thursday morning, Semafor first reported.

The network plans to fill Hasan’s Sunday night slot with a second hour of a show hosted by Ayman Mohyeldin, whose total broadcast time on MSNBC will be expanding to four hours on both Saturday and Sundays.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4335274-mehdi-hassan-canceled-msnbc/

[moondust]

3. "while host Alex Witt

will expand her show to three hours each day with Vossoughian’s slot."

[montanacowboy]

5. Alex Witt

is like watching paint dry and now another hour?

[Rebl2]

12. Don't really care

for Alex Witt

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

62. And Andrea Mitchell

keeps hanging on

[montanacowboy]

4. Too Bad

they are both great reporters and offer the other side. I have literally stopped watching all news shows due to this war in Gaza. I despise BiBi and I hate the way the US has to support him come hell or high water. Too much for me to watch so I shut the damn thing off.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

63. Right there with you.

100%.

[MatterN]

6. And Apparently, One Of Hasan's Producers Too

From OP Link:

Adam Weinstein, a producer for his show, tweeted on Thursday implying he was laid off from this “wild, wonderful ride.”

This will send more shock waves, methinks.

[MatterN]

13. Exhibit #1

Progressives criticize MSNBC for canceling Mehdi Hasan show - Politico

Progressive lawmakers, activists and advocacy groups voiced their outrage Thursday at MSNBC’s decision to cancel a show hosted by Medhi Hasan, claiming that the network was seeking to silence one of its most prominent Muslim on-air personalities.

“It is bad optics for MSNBC to cancel @mehdirhasan’s show right at a time when he is vocal for human rights in Gaza with the war ongoing,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) posted on X, formerly Twitter. “As a strong supporter of free speech, MSNBC owes the public an explanation for this decision. Why would they choose to do this now?”

Khanna’s tweet, which was retweeted by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), came as activists and advocacy groups cried foul on the network’s decision.

"@msnbc make this make sense. @mehdirhasan’s program has felt like an oasis on air and more needed than ever," Noura Erakat, a Palestinian American human rights lawyer, tweeted Thursday. “He should be amplified, not shut down.”

Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/progressives-criticize-msnbc-for-canceling-mehdi-hasan-show/ar-AA1kOusd

[MatterN]

15. Exhibit #2

Ro Khanna Insists MSNBC ‘Owes The Public An Explanation’ For Canceling Mehdi Hasan’s Show During Israel-Hamas War - Mediaite

Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/other/ro-khanna-insists-msnbc-owes-the-public-an-explanation-for-canceling-mehdi-hasan-s-show-during-israel-hamas-war/ar-AA1kNIwx

[MatterN]

17. Progressive Change Campaign Committee Petition Here:

SIGN THE PETITION TO MSNBC: Keep Mehdi Hasan as a host of his own show.

Link: https://act.boldprogressives.org/survey/petition_2023_msnbc_mehdi_hasan/?source=e231130_1712-inf&amount=10&tandembox=show&t=3

[burrowowl]

35. Done!

[bdamomma]

56. Done

nt

[MatterN]

31. Exhibit #4

Dismay as Mehdi Hasan’s MSNBC and Peacock news show cancelled - Guardian

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/nov/30/mehdi-hasan-msnbc-show-cancelled-mohyeldin

[RussBLib]

7. Both will still guest host

...and be available as analysts.

https://russblib.blogspot.com/

[tritsofme]

8. They should keep unpopular low rated shows on the air because....reasons.

[JohnSJ]

10. because they are a non-profit organization who like musk doesn't need advertisers for his X platform

[JohnSJ]

9. Mehdi Hasan in my view is a jerk, from his earlier homophobic views, which he subsequently apologized

for, to his declaration that his family will never vote for Joe Biden.

The only reason he is being reshuffled is because he doesn't have the ratings. Neither is being fired.

Hasan will remain as a political analyst and fill-in host, while Vossoghian will continue in her role as a national reporter.

[Cha]

14. Meh was Sure As Shit WRONG About This freaking INSULT..

Link to tweet

[JohnSJ]

18. Touch. Thanks Cha

[ShazzieB]

23. Agreed!

[Hekate]

27. Thank you for this little dose of reality

[Tarheel_Dem]

41. I can't stand him, and I'm not a bit surprised that he's a ratings failure. nt

[JohnSJ]

46. Am I defending Joy Reid? I am not, and I am not a fan of her either.

[Sympthsical]

16. Hasan had 13,000 viewers in the 18-49 demo last week

MSNBC isn't running a charity.

[bullimiami]

36. How were their ratings?

[SouthernDem4ever]

19. I wish I could say he is someone I will miss

but I won't

[JI7]

20. Isn't he being replaced by another Muslim POC ?

Aren't they just giving Ayman Mohyeldin more time ?

[pnwmom]

30. That's how I read it. Ayman, another Muslim, will be taking over Hasan's spot, and therefore

doubling his air-time.

[Oopsie Daisy]

21. Yawn. It's business... and ratings.

I can't get all worked-up about this.

[pnwmom]

22. You left out this part: Ayman "Mohyeldin will take over Hasan's evening slot to expand to a two-hour show." nt

[flashman13]

24. Trump has really scared NBC quite. Getting ready for fascism.

[Hekate]

29. That's not what's going on

[Hekate]

25. I thought Yasmin was Armenian. Even so -- the stations are always doing "program shakeups"

I would not read too much into this without further info. A day or so ago we were advised that Medhi will still be around and on the air in other capacities. Doesn't sound to me like he’s being kicked out to the curb.

EDIT: I googled for her and found that she is indeed Iranian-American and that her parents are Muslim. I learn something new every day

[JI7]

26. So did I but just based on the last name

[brush]

28. Not a good look. Yasmin Vossoughian could be a Muslim too.

[bdamomma]

47. I think

She's Armenian. Could have been her ratings.

[brush]

50. Another poster indicated she's Iranian-American.

[Fla Dem]

57. IRANIAN - AMERICAN

Mother of two and yoga enthusiast Yasmin Vossoughian brings her passion for storytelling to the MSNBC anchor desk.
Snip......
“I just want to tell good stories and inform people and bridge gaps, and that's what my goal has always been. Being a minority myself, being Iranian-American and growing up with Muslim parents and being from a small town, all of that plays into it.”

https://www.oxy.edu/about-oxy/stories/yasmin-vossoughian-00#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20just%20want%20to%20tell,of%20that%20plays%20into%20it.%E2%80%9D

[Goddessartist]

32. Horrible!

He's my favorite! WTF!

[bdamomma]

48. Sucks

that they cancelled Medhi, he's one of my favourites.
I guess he was too "vocal" for MSNBC, we need more Medhi's.

[Goddessartist]

49. Yep.

[Raine]

33. I wonder what happens to Yasmin 🤔 she's the one I like. 🙁 nt

[Cha]

34. Meh hates Pres Biden.. I'm glad his shows got Cancelled & b/c RATINGS.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Oopsie Daisy]

42. I hope they also get rid of that awful Chris Hayes. (Hayes *and* Hasan pushed/promoted the Tara Reade story.)

Neither one are friends of Democrats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_sexual_assault_allegation

In March 2020, during that year's election campaign for President of the United States, Tara Reade alleged that Democratic nominee Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 in a Capitol Hill office building when she was a staff assistant in his office. Biden denied Reade's allegation.

Reade worked for Biden as a Congressional aide in 1992 and 1993, and later attended Antioch University and Seattle University School of Law. She later worked as a domestic violence advocate. She said she suffered emotional and violent physical abuse from both her father and ex-husband, which motivated her to work on behalf of victims.[1]

Reade misrepresented herself and her life experiences on numerous occasions, including lying under oath and in court proceedings. For example, she falsely claimed to hold a bachelor's degree from Antioch University.[2]

Political analysts have noted contradictions in Reade's allegation. Before accusing Biden of sexual assault in 2020, Reade made other comments that cast her encounters with Biden differently. In April 2019, Reade said that she filed a complaint in 1993 against Biden with a Senate human resources office, in which she alleged that Biden had made her feel uncomfortable through comments she deemed demeaning, allegedly including a compliment about her looks and a request for Reade to serve drinks at a Senate event. However, in her complaint, Reade did not accuse Biden of any kind of sexual misconduct and made no mention of the alleged assault.[3]

In May 2023, Reade said she had been receiving death threats in the united states, and decided to migrate to Russia. She made this announcement during an interview with Sputnik in Moscow alongside suspected Kremlin spy Maria Butina whom Reade called her friend.[4] Reade said that she felt safe in Moscow, and criticized the United States' "aggressive stance" towards her.[5]

[Cha]

52. We're on the same Page.. TY!! Yes Rec

[Cha]

54. We're on he same page.. Rec Yes!

[MorbidButterflyTat]

64. That was such a blatantly obvious

(attempted) right wing smear. JFC.

You'd think people would smarten up after the disgraceful attacks on Al Franken.

[moonshinegnomie]

37. hasan's rating have been plunging

from 600k before october 7th to under 500k recently

[ecstatic]

38. This is their MO. If it weren't for Rachel, LO, Joy, and Nicolle

I would have been gone long ago.

[LexVegas]

39. Good riddance to Hasan. Anti-Black and Anti-Jewish. Bye. nt

[wendyb-NC]

40. What, why

That's terrible. I like both of them, their shows are engaging with innovative topics, from the current goings on in the world. I'm shaking my head, sad news.

[MichaelSoE]

43. Was this appearance on the Daily Show the nail in the coffin?

Wednesday night's episode

[Jersey Devil]

44. Have to admit I never saw either of them

I have never watched cable news on the weekends though I watch several hours of it almost every week day.

[Sneederbunk]

51. KO slams MSNBC colleagues today..

[Oopsie Daisy]

53. Really? Which ones?

[Sneederbunk]

58. Chris, Rachel, Lawrence

[Oopsie Daisy]

59. Interesting. I thought he had moved-on from the bitterness and butt-hurt.

(Thanks for the info.)

[Sneederbunk]

60. Listen to podcast.

[Oopsie Daisy]

61. If there's a transcript, I'll read it. But he's difficult to listen to for very long.

I've tried in the past, but he's filling air-time and takes his sweet time before getting to the point. I liked him long ago, and I wish him well. But he's just not my cuppa-tea any longer.

[TSExile]

65. I liked Mehdi's show.

I especially liked the 60-minute rant.