The original decision to air this segment was made before Wednesday’s massacre. However, the staff and I had an internal debate about whether to show it at all this week. When we discussed putting it off, that conversation centered around race and perception – not the conversation we wanted the segment to invoke.
We decided against delaying the segment because we wanted to show multiple sides of what gun violence does in this country. We thought the issue of gun violence in our culture and society was an important conversation to continue — too important to put off for another week. The consequences of gun violence should not be hidden.
As I say to all audiences, Meet the Press should make all viewers uncomfortable at some point or we are not doing our job. I hope folks view the gun video as a part of the conversation we should all be having and not the totality of it.
Most commenters online were not pacified by the apology and some called for Todd’s firing.
What do you think? Was this a blatantly racist misstep? Or just a segment best placed in another context?
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‘Meet The Press,’ Chuck Todd, Face Backlash After Airing Video Of Black Killers In Wake Of Emanuel Massacre was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
