Amidst the tumultuous legal investigations surrounding former president Donald Trump, progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan has announced plans to launch a new media company that vows to cover Trump’s legal troubles in a markedly different fashion than mainstream outlets.
By pledging more blunt, unvarnished coverage, Hasan aims to pierce through the pretense of impartiality that he feels often cloaks reporting on polarizing political figures like Trump.
Hasan New Venture
Hasan intends for Zeteo to provide coverage of former President Trump’s legal issues from a different perspective than mainstream media.
Hasan believes that media organizations have erred in framing stories about Trump’s legal troubles as straightforward legal issues.
A Progressive Voice
According to Hasan, Zeteo aims to answer important questions while pursuing the truth. The company will create streaming shows, podcasts, and written content for a progressive audience. Hasan intends to charge subscribers $6 monthly to access Zeteo’s content.
Despite his lack of experience as an entrepreneur, Hasan believes this is an ideal time to start an independent media venture.
Departure From MSNBC
MSNBC canceled Hasan’s prime-time weekend show last year but offered to retain him as a paid contributor. Hasan declined the offer in favor of starting Zeteo.
His departure continues a trend of prominent cable news commentators leaving to launch their media brands. For example, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson started the Tucker Carlson Network and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Experience in Broadcast Journalism
Though new to entrepreneurship, Hasan has over a decade of experience as a journalist and commentator. His weekend prime-time show on MSNBC was canceled last year, though the network offered him a position as a paid contributor.
Hasan also recently joined The Guardian as a columnist, where he will provide commentary on politics and current affairs.
Plans for Streaming Shows, Podcasts, and Written Content
In his interview with NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” Hasan elaborated on his plans to produce video and audio content and written pieces.
Hasan stated, “This is one of the biggest news years of our lives, and that’s why I wanted to do something like this. I’m not a businessman. I’m not an entrepreneur. I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s a huge gamble. But I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t confident.”
Hasan Joins the Guardian as Columnist
Hasan will provide commentary on U.S. politics and current affairs as a columnist for The Guardian. In an interview, Hasan said he aims to bring “a different perspective” in covering legal issues surrounding former President Trump.
Hasan believes the media has made a mistake in framing the issues around Trump’s legal troubles as purely legal stories.
Sees Trump Cases as “Political” Rather Than “Legal“
Hasan contends that Trump’s legal challenges are also political issues. For example, Hasan argues that the Supreme Court’s decision to consider whether Trump can face criminal charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results is a political matter, not just a legal one.
According to Hasan, “These are politicians in robes. These are not disinterested jurists. So, that’s one way I would cover this story differently.”Through his new column in The Guardian and Zeteo, Hasan seeks to bring progressive voices to the public debate.
Hasan Seeks To Bring a New Perspective
As Hasan embarks on his new media venture, whether his promised approach of covering Trump’s legal cases as political rather than legal stories will resonate with his target progressive audience remains to be seen.
Ultimately, the viability of framing Trump’s post-presidency troubles as a politicized “charade” rather than a neutral legal process will depend on delivering insightful analysis without alienating those seeking more measured perspectives.
Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Under Scrutiny
Hasan points out that the Supreme Court now has a conservative supermajority, with two seats possibly “stolen.”
One of those justices, Clarence Thomas, has a wife, Ginny Thomas, who faces questions about her role in events leading up to the January 6th Capitol riots.
Scrutiny of the Court’s Legitimacy
More broadly, the case highlights growing questions about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court in its current form. With its conservative majority, the court makes decisions aligning with right-leaning political interests.
The circumstances surrounding the appointment of some of the justices have also been controversial. All of this damages the court’s reputation as an independent and apolitical branch of government.
Is Hasan a Trump Supporter
While Hasan has not publicly stated whether he supports Donald Trump, his plans for a new media venture indicate that he intends to provide different coverage of Trump’s presidency and administration going forward.
Hasan has criticized some mainstream media outlets for what he perceives as unfair or biased reporting against Trump, and he hopes his new venture will offer “facts not filtered through a partisan lens.”
Coloring Inside The Lines
Without taking a clear pro-Trump or anti-Trump stance, Hasan’s reporting could aim for impartiality, focusing on what Trump says and does and providing context and fact-checking.
However, Hasan will have to navigate the line between impartial reporting and coverage that downplays legitimate criticisms of Trump or fails to hold him properly accountable.
Looking At Everything From a New Lense
By pledging to cover Trump’s legal troubles as political rather than legal stories, Hasan promises a perspective many viewers perceive as lacking in mainstream coverage.
While some may critique this approach as overly partisan, Hasan seems determined to provide the kind of unvarnished analysis he feels cable news constrained him from delivering. The success of this new project remains uncertain, but Hasan is betting on a progressive hunger for content that cuts through obfuscation to address the political stakes underlying these cases directly.
