Comcast’s top brass slammed MSNBC’s coverage of the killing of conservative activist Charlier Kirk — including “insensitive” and “inappropriate” remarks by analyst Matthew Dowd, who was fired on Thursday.
The memo, which was signed by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Comcast president Mike Cavanagh and Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant — the spinoff company that includes MSNBC — was circulated to Comcast and NBCUniversal staff on Friday.
“You may have seen that MSNBC recently ended its association with a contributor who made an unacceptable and insensitive comment about this horrific event,” the memo said.
“That coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue and being willing to listen to the points of view of those who have differing opinions. We should be able to disagree, robustly and passionately, but, ultimately, with respect. We need to do better.”
The execs added that staffers must “maintain a respectful exchange of ideas” even if they do not agree with the late Kirk’s political views.
They added that “something essential has fractured in our public discourse,” and that their company has a “responsibility to help mend it.”
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley College, prompting a media frenzy and manhunt for the conservative activist’s killer.
During MSNBC’s live coverage of the shooting, anchor Katy Tur asked Dowd about “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.”
Dowd answered: “He’s been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.
“You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”
The analyst’s remarks sparked outrage online and prompted MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler to issue an apology on Thursday and fire Dowd, whose comments she called “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”
Follow The Post’s live coverage of the Charlie Kirk shooting for the latest news and updates
Comcast — and other major media companies — have been under fire for biased coverage by President Trump and his administration.
On “Fox & Friends” on Friday, Trump commented on the firing of Dowd and MSNBC’s coverage.
“We are talking about radical left networks and cable channels, horrible channels, like MS — I always call it DNC — because it is somehow affiliated with the Democrat National Committee,” he said.
“MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS — they’re all terrible. Absolutely terrible and unfair. But even they have been giving it, like, ‘This can’t be allowed to happen.’”
The president made the bombshell announcement on the show that a suspect accused of killing Kirk had been captured.
Credit: Source link
