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KNBC Permits Anti-Scientologist to Foment Hate on Air
On February 1, a KNBC TV host interviewed anti-Scientology extremist Leah Remini—an individual whose hate speech has been the documented inspiration for violent hate crimes against Scientologists, their families, children and houses of worship.
Though answering questions about a game show, Remini exploited the opportunity to spread antireligious rhetoric and bigotry, peddling propaganda concerning the “victims” of a religion in terms evocative of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic ideologies suggesting members of a majority must be defended from those deemed the dangerous “other.”
Rather than broadcast material pertaining to the actual questions from the pre-recorded interview, KNBC opted to air Remini’s digression into offensive, discriminatory, marginalizing rhetoric.
“Leah Remini’s brand of hate is not new—you’ll find it in the history books of virtually every state and every nation,” said National STAND Director Bari Berger. “It is pure, unadulterated dog whistling and bigotry and it is more than disturbing that KNBC would give such an unhinged extremist a platform to incite hate against individuals solely on the basis of their religion—in this of all times. KNBC should be ashamed of itself.”
