The TV and social media coverage of the murder of Charlie Kirk reached far and wide, capturing audiences in a way not seen in a long time. It boosted ratings on all cable networks. And, surprise, surprise, with a few exceptions, the liberal press moderated its negative comments. Social media, not so much.
On the day Kirk — Turning Point USA’s founder and right-wing friend of Donald Trump — died at the hands of a 22-year-old while speaking at a Utah university, I was scrolling through social media, and stumbled upon the close-up video of the shooting on X.
The short clip just played in my face, and I couldn’t stop it fast enough. The fact that I had to see a chilling video that I wanted no part of, made me angry at the state of online discourse.
CNN anchor Dana Bash, on Sunday’s State of the Union, admonished social media algorithms for pulling us “deeper and deeper into our own information loops and political ecosytems.”
She warned social media sites to think “long and hard about the way they manipulate what people see…especially young people.”
Great sentiment, but good luck with that.
A quick Google search of “Elon Musk criticism” said this: “Musk has promoted conspiracy theories and made controversial statements that have led to accusations of racism, sexism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, transphobia, misinformation, disinformation, and support of white pride.”
When Kirk died, X owner Musk tweeted, “The left is the party of murder.” He later said about liberals condoning violence, “That is who we’re dealing with here.”
Musk blatantly aligns himself with the right; he’s a so-called free speech champion who views X as a place where anyone can say what they want. Yet MSNBC has claimed he “is quietly suspending left-leaning Twitter accounts for ideological reasons, while reinstating far right accounts that broke Twitter’s rules in the past.” That, it has said, includes “neo-Nazis and other far-right figures.”
As for TV coverage, Reuters reports 15 people have been fired or suspended. NPR reports 33. But overall, cable commentators, guests, reporters and hosts, haven’t really criticized Kirk despite a history of provocative or controversial comments.
MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd got the ax for saying, shortly after Kirk’s death was confirmed, “He’s [Kirk] 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.”
He added, “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place.”
In a statement on social media, MSNBC’s president, Rebecca Kutler, described the comments as “inappropriate, insensitive, and unacceptable.”
The comments were despicable. He should have been fired. He is now defending himself, saying his comments were “misconstrued,” and that he has repeatedly come out against gun violence.
Same goes for a Washington Post columnist, Karen Attiah, who said she was fired for a series of social media posts following Kirk’s death.
She included a screenshot of a Kirk quote, which she said was about prominent black women who “do not have brain processing power to be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot.”
Charlie Kirk was actually playing a video of former Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee saying she “may have been admitted on affirmative action,” but graduated on her own.
Kirk said: “If we would have said that Joy Reid, and Michelle Obama, and Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson were affirmative action picks, we would have been called racists.”
“As a columnist, I used my voice to defend freedom and democracy, challenge power and reflect on culture and politics with honesty and conviction…Now, I am the one being silenced — for doing my job.”
A recently leaked Washington Post email from the head of HR said she was fired for these posts: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is… not the same as violence” and “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.”
Again, insensitive and inflammatory.
On the other side, one New Jersey nurse who worked for a hospital was suspended by the organization for blowing the whistle on a doctor who told her that Charlie Kirk had it coming to him. She later repeated the accusation on Fox.
Oof. What a week for the world. Many, including comedian and Trump-basher Stephen Colbert, who opened with his monologue with a call to peace, said, “Violence is never the answer to political disagreement.” He showed a clip of Speaker Mike Johnson calling to bring down the temperature. “We can settle disputes in a civil manner. Political violence must be called out, and it has to stop.”
On this urgent desire to stop targeted political violence, including the two attempts last year against Donald Trump, both sides — mostly — can agree. And that, at least, is progress. I hope it can happen, but, sadly, I have my doubts.
***
On a personal note, my husband — Howard Kurtz — ended an amazing, and what must be record-breaking tenure on television. His media criticism TV show on Fox News sunsetted on Sunday. He created Media Buzz 12 years ago, after anchoring as senior media panelist, then host of Reliable Sources on CNN for 22 years. He started his career as a Justice correspondent, New York bureau chief, member of Bob Woodward’s investigative unit, and then media reporter for The Washington Post for 29 years.
That brings his Sunday TV tenure to 34 years. And he never missed a show until earlier this year when he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. I was so angry that he left the hospital and was back on the air not long afterwards. He is the hardest-working person I‘ve ever known.
As we move forward, we’re hoping to have a little more flexibility in our lives, getting time to spend together doing the things we love. He will still be recording his daily podcast, Media Buzzmeter, and writing columns for Fox’s website, while making appearances on the network, as he did Monday morning, A Fox and Friends anchor praised him for always telling both sides of a story. Online, he was heavily criticized and strongly lauded for this approach, some calling it old-fashioned in a time of political upheaval and partisan posturing by hosts on all networks.
I could not be prouder of his professionalism, and especially his lack of fear when telling truth to power. It takes tough skin to last this long in the business. He did this while being a great dad to his four daughters and grandfather to seven grandchildren. And of course, a supportive and loving husband.
Here’s to more incisive and direct media coverage to come from one helluva guy.
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