Mehdi Hasan Criticizes New York Times for Lack of Left-Wing Representation
WASHINGTON D.C. – Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has publicly challenged The New York Times, asserting that the paper fails to adequately represent the ideological left within the United States. Hasan voiced his concerns during a discussion at Semafor’s Innovating to Restore Trust in News summit on Thursday.
The conversation arose from a question about whether Hasan intended to broaden the audience of his news startup, Zeteo, which he launched after departing MSNBC. Hasan was asked specifically if he wanted to attract news consumers from across the political spectrum to subscribe to his outlet.
In response, Hasan highlighted the conscious choices he made in building Zeteo. "I could’ve hired a bunch of Never-Trump Republicans, right? People who I’m friendly with. I didn’t do that… Look, they’re everywhere. They’ve got enough platforms," Hasan told Semafor’s Max Tani. He went on to express his belief that the current media landscape is already saturated with conservative viewpoints.
"What’s not doing fine when we’re talking about the diversity of viewpoints – you know, we’re obsessed with getting MAGA viewpoint out there. The New York Times will send 100 journalists in Iowa to speak to Trump voters, but what’s missing, of course, is the left," Hasan argued, suggesting a disproportionate focus on understanding and representing conservative perspectives.
Hasan further emphasized his point by questioning The New York Times’ lack of representation from the left wing of the Democratic Party. "Isn’t it crazy that three cycles in now, The New York Times does not have a Bernie Sanders-supporting columnist?" he asked. "I mean, Jamelle Bouie, kind of, but there’s no actual proper Bernie Bro on the pages of The New York Times. Where’s the ideological diversity there on the left?"
The New York Times has not yet issued an official response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment regarding Hasan’s remarks.
The progressive media personality used the opportunity to promote his own hiring practices at Zeteo, which operates as a Substack and YouTube-based news platform. Hasan asserted that his outlet, unlike The New York Times, actively strives to provide a fair and balanced representation of perspectives from across the left-leaning political spectrum.
"So for me, I wanted to have voices from the left, the center left, the far left," Hasan explained. He cited examples of his hires to illustrate the range of perspectives Zeteo aims to include.
"We’ve got John Harwood, who’s a kind of mainstream liberal ex-CNN, ex-CNBC who writes very sympathetically [about the] Democratic Party very well. I’m a huge fan of John. That’s why he was one of my first hires. I’m so proud that he joined Zeteo. We also have Naomi Klein, who’s not seen in that vein. We have Owen Jones in the UK, who quit the Labour Party because [British Prime Minister] Keir Starmer was, you know, he saw him as a betrayer of the left," he continued.
Hasan contrasted his approach with what he described as the prevalence of conservative voices in other media outlets. "So we have a great range of views across the left, center left, liberal left, but no – everywhere I’ve ever worked is filled with conservatives. I’m not gonna start a media company and say ‘Come on in, conservatives!’"
Hasan’s departure from MSNBC in January 2024 followed the cancellation of his show just weeks prior. He had been a vocal critic of Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, while simultaneously condemning the Hamas attack itself.
Following the cancellation of his weekend and Peacock shows, MSNBC stated that Hasan would remain with the network as an on-air analyst and fill-in host. However, reports indicate that he was rarely utilized in this capacity, making only one on-air appearance outside of his own program during that time, according to Grabien transcripts.
Some critics have suggested that MSNBC’s decision to cancel Hasan’s show and limit his on-air presence reflected a discomfort with his outspoken criticism of Israel, particularly given his status as one of the network’s most prominent Muslim voices. However, MSNBC has not publicly addressed these allegations.
The debate surrounding Hasan’s departure from MSNBC and his subsequent criticism of The New York Times highlights the ongoing tensions and discussions within the media landscape regarding representation, ideological diversity, and the role of news organizations in reflecting the breadth of perspectives within society. His new endeavor, Zeteo, is positioned as an alternative that prioritizes a wider spectrum of left-leaning voices, challenging established media outlets to re-evaluate their commitment to representing diverse political viewpoints.
