Letter to NBC News Executives & Producers

Dear NBC News Executives & Producers,

NBC’s October 17, 2018 Today segment about white supremacist group Identity Evropa was deeply concerning. While we unequivocally support free speech and fully encourage news outlets reporting on the underlying issues associated with hate and nationalism, the undersigned organizations are troubled by the approach and reporting standards that provided airtime for Identity Evropa to promote itself on national television.

Your news division has an obligation to maintain civility norms and to consider the real-life impact of providing an uninterrupted platform to a white nationalist has when it comes to further endangering minorities against discrimination, hostility, or violence. Hateful ideology does not differ from obscene material such as nudity and profanity.

Like other degrading content considerations, we urge NBC to undertake reasonable means to further prevent the propagation of hateful content on its platform. Providing a documented hate group with a national broadcast medium such as Today allows these organizations to normalize their viewpoints of discrimination and intolerance, gain prominence, and obtain new followers. The producers of Today could have easily reported this story without providing a hate group with free publicity. We were also disappointed to see that the news reporting completely lacked an examination regarding the profound impact that hate groups have on minority communities and highlighting their voices.

We urge NBC’s news division to take a harder look at the journalistic standards that involve covering and reporting on hate groups and we encourage a greater demonstrated commitment to considering how that coverage directly impacts communities affected by hate.

Respectfully,

• The Sikh Coalition
• Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
• Colorado Muslim Speakers Bureau
• Faith in Public Life
• Interfaith Alliance
• Islamic Networks Group (ING)
• MAPS-AMEN (American Muslim Empowerment Network)
• Matthew Shepard Foundation
• National Organization for Women Foundation
• OneAmerica
• Positive Women’s Network USA
• South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
• The Gathering for Justice
• United Church of Christ