Opinion: Why is ‘60 Minutes’ amplifying the views of Marjorie Taylor Greene? | CNN

"CBS' 60 Minutes is under fire for featuring Marjorie Taylor Greene on its latest episode, and for good reason. The congresswoman's history of promoting conspiracy theories, white nationalism, and anti-Muslim views makes her a highly divisive figure.

In an interview with Lesley Stahl that aired last Sunday night, Greene discussed everything from the 2020 election to school shootings, often making outlandish claims that have been widely debunked by experts. What's particularly disturbing is how CBS chose not to bring up some of Greene's most egregious statements during the conversation.

Critics argue that the network's failure to fact-check and call out Greene's conspiracy theories amounts to a form of amplification, giving her a platform she doesn't deserve. The decision has been met with widespread criticism from experts like David Hogg, who survived the Parkland school shooting, and journalists Molly Jong-Fast and Adam Kinzinger.

Some have pointed out that 60 Minutes has a history of featuring "controversial" guests, including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in 2000. But there's a significant difference between those guests and Greene: at least McVeigh wasn't actively promoting conspiracy theories and white nationalism during his imprisonment.

The fact remains that Greene's views are not only divisive but also harmful to marginalized communities. Her comments have been criticized for perpetuating anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, making it even more concerning that CBS chose not to scrutinize her statements further.

It's worth noting that 60 Minutes did feature a segment with the now-departed Les Moonves in 2016, where he openly stated his admiration for Donald Trump despite knowing the potential harm it could cause to the network and its audience. The same sentiment seems to be at play here, suggesting that CBS is prioritizing ratings over responsible journalism.

In conclusion, the decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes was a mistake. The network should have been more diligent in fact-checking her claims and calling out her conspiracy theories for what they are: baseless and divisive rhetoric that undermines trust in institutions and perpetuates harm against marginalized communities.

I'm so annoyed with CBS' decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes. I mean, come on! She's been spreading these crazy conspiracy theories and hate speech for years, and the network just lets her spew it all out without fact-checking? It's like they're trying to give her a free platform . I'm not surprised to see experts like David Hogg and Molly Jong-Fast speaking out against this, it's just common sense . And what's even more disturbing is that CBS is prioritizing ratings over actual journalism. 60 Minutes should be setting the bar high for fact-checking and accountability, not lowering it to accommodate divisive figures .

I'm all about giving people a platform to share their thoughts, but when it comes to someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, you gotta fact-check hard . Her views are super out there, even for most extreme politicians . And yeah, 60 Minutes shoulda called her out on some of that crazy stuff they discussed . It's all about being responsible and not just going for a ratings boost . I mean, have you seen the backlash from experts like David Hogg? It's clear this decision won't sit well with many people .

omg I completely agree with this article like who gives Marjorie Taylor Greene a platform to spread hate speech? CBS is just trying to get views, not do journalism lol. I mean I know they did feature some controversial guests before but at least those guys weren't actively promoting conspiracy theories and white nationalism. And Les Moonves' history with Trump is wild too, it's like he wanted that spotlight so bad. anyway, this decision is super problematic and I'm so glad experts are speaking out

I'm so confused about this news . I mean, I get that 60 Minutes wants to feature people from all sides of the aisle, but Marjorie Taylor Greene is like, super problematic . She's always spewing out crazy conspiracy theories and hate speech on Twitter. Why did they even invite her in the first place? And yeah, it's weird that they didn't fact-check her claims more thoroughly... I guess they were just trying to give her a platform to share her views or something .

But at the same time, I can see why some people are mad. Her views are really hurtful and divisive, especially towards Muslim people and others who are already marginalized . And I know 60 Minutes has featured other "controversial" guests before, but this one feels different because she's actually promoting hate speech and conspiracy theories while she's in the spotlight .

It's like, ratings over responsible journalism is a big no-no in my book . I mean, as a news org, shouldn't you be trying to educate people and give them accurate info? Not just amplify someone's crazy views and hope they stick . Anyway, I'm not sure what the right answer is here... maybe 60 Minutes should've done more research or something

I'm really disappointed in CBS' decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes . I think it's crazy that they didn't fact-check her claims or call out her conspiracy theories, especially considering how many people she's hurt with her words . I mean, if you're going to give someone a platform, at least make sure they're not spewing hate speech and hurting people . It's like they're trying to boost ratings over doing the right thing . And yeah, their history of featuring "controversial" guests is one thing, but this is different - Greene is actively promoting division and harm, which is not okay . I'm so tired of people like her getting attention and validation when they shouldn't be given it at all .

I'm so disappointed to see CBS give Marjorie Taylor Greene a platform . I mean, come on, the woman is spewing out conspiracy theories and hate speech left and right . It's like they're trying to boost their ratings instead of doing some real journalism . And don't even get me started on how they didn't fact-check her claims - that's just lazy journalism . I know 60 Minutes has had its share of controversy guests in the past, but this is different. This isn't just someone who happened to say some outrageous things during an interview - it's someone who actively promotes hate and division . CBS needs to do better than this . We need journalism that's gonna call out the BS and keep our institutions safe from people like Greene .

CBS should've checked her facts before giving Marjorie Taylor Greene a platform

I mean, come on... CBS is like trying to be the middleman between a crazy person and a therapist, but instead of sending them to therapy, you just give 'em airtime . I get it, Greene's a polarizing figure and all, but that doesn't excuse 60 Minutes for not putting her claims under a microscope. I mean, have they even fact-checked any of those wild conspiracy theories? It's like they're trying to be the popular kid in school who gets invited to every party , instead of being the responsible one who asks tough questions and calls out BS.

And yeah, you can say it's all about ratings and whatnot, but I think there's more to it than that. It's like 60 Minutes is afraid to take a stand against someone who's actively spreading hate and misinformation. News organizations should be holding people in power accountable, not giving them a platform just because they're controversy magnets . We need journalists who are willing to put on their big kid pants and call out BS when they see it, instead of just trying to be popular.

I'm really disappointed with CBS' decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on their show . I mean, come on, the woman has a history of promoting some pretty wild conspiracy theories and hateful views . It's like they're giving her a free pass just because she's a congresswoman .

I get that 60 Minutes is supposed to be a platform for having tough conversations and featuring guests with different perspectives, but Greene's views are so far outside the mainstream that it feels more like they're enabling her than engaging in meaningful journalism . And don't even get me started on how they didn't fact-check some of her claims .

I'm all for free speech and giving people a platform to express themselves, but when it comes to someone who's spreading hate and misinformation, I think you have to draw a line . It's not about being "PC" or "sensitive", it's just about being responsible and respectful of marginalized communities .

CBS should be ashamed of themselves for prioritizing ratings over responsible journalism . Maybe they can learn from their own history of featuring problematic guests like Timothy McVeigh in the past . Anyway, I'm definitely not watching 60 Minutes anymore until they make some changes .

Ugh, I'm so disappointed in CBS . I get it, they're trying to give a platform to different voices, but come on! Marjorie Taylor Greene is literally spewing hate speech and conspiracy theories left and right... how can you not fact-check her? It's like they want to amplify her toxic views and give her more attention than she deserves. And don't even get me started on the lack of scrutiny during that interview . I mean, what were they thinking? Did they really think it was a good idea to give her a platform without calling out her BS? It's like they're more concerned with ratings than doing responsible journalism... just no .

I'm really surprised that CBS would feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on their show without doing a deeper fact-check on her statements . I mean, we all know she's been spewing conspiracy theories and hate speech for years, but to have it on national TV without calling her out on it is just crazy talk . I get that they're trying to make a point, but at what cost? It feels like they're more worried about ratings than reporting the truth. And let's be real, Greene's views are super toxic and hurtful to so many people . Can't we do better than this as a society? Shouldn't we be promoting fact-based journalism over sensationalism? Just saying

I'm really disappointed to hear that CBS featured Marjorie Taylor Greene on their show . I mean, we've all seen her wild claims before, but it's one thing to acknowledge them and another to give her a platform without questioning them. It's like they're playing into the hands of people who want to spread misinformation and hate.

And you know what really gets me? They didn't even fact-check her statements properly . I mean, come on, 60 Minutes has a reputation for doing their research and holding guests accountable. This was just lazy journalism at its worst.

I'm all for free speech and giving people a voice, but when it comes to promoting conspiracy theories and hate speech, that's just not okay . We need to be holding our leaders and media outlets accountable for the message they're spreading. Otherwise, we'll continue to see more divisions and harm towards marginalized communities.

CBS should really take a hard look at what happened here and how they can do better in the future . Maybe it's time to get some new producers who actually care about fact-checking and responsible journalism .

Can't believe CBS is giving Marjorie Taylor Greene a platform, she's toxic

I'm literally SHOOK by this decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes I mean, what's next? Are we gonna start airing QAnon podcasts as if they're legit news? This is a perfect example of how the media can be used to spread hate and conspiracy theories. And CBS just ran with it like it was nothing . I'm so tired of these 'controversial guests' who think they can just spew their toxic views on national TV without any fact-checking or accountability . Newsflash, 60 Minutes: you're not a platform for Marjorie Taylor Greene's ramblings . And what really gets me is that this is happening during a time when we need journalism to be more responsible than ever . We can't just let people like her spread their hate and misinformation without someone holding them accountable .

I'm telling you, this is where the problem starts . I mean, 60 Minutes has always been about giving a platform to people who are saying something big, but does it ever stop to think if that person actually knows what they're talking about? Greene's views are not just divisive, she's actively promoting hate speech and misinformation. It's like CBS is just enabling her or trying to get more clicks .

I remember when Les Moonves was on the show in 2016, it was a huge deal because he was basically admitting that he knew Trump was bad for the network, but he still wanted to work with him. Now they're doing the same thing with Greene? It's just not right .

I'm all for giving people airtime and having debates, but when it comes down to it, you have to fact-check and hold them accountable. Greene's been spreading conspiracy theories left and right, and CBS didn't even bother to call her out on some of the more egregious ones . It's like they're just giving her a free pass to spew hate speech all over the country .

I'm not saying that 60 Minutes never makes mistakes, but this one feels especially egregious to me. Maybe next time they'll think twice before letting someone with Greene's views on the show .

I'm super concerned about this one . I mean, I get it, 60 Minutes is trying to give people a platform to hear them out, but when it comes to Marjorie Taylor Greene's views, I think they dropped the ball . Her conspiracy theories and white nationalist ideas are just not something you can just gloss over and expect everyone to be okay with . And what really gets me is that CBS didn't fact-check her claims as much as they could've . I mean, I know they're trying to make ratings work, but at what cost? The thing is, Greene's views are not only hurtful to certain communities, but also kinda perpetuate a whole lot of hate . It's like CBS is giving her a soapbox and letting her spread her toxic message far and wide . I get that they've done this before with other "controversial" guests, but it's just not the same when you're amplifying baseless conspiracy theories .

omg this is so not okay marjorie taylor greene is literally spreading hate speech and cbs should be ashamed of themselves for giving her a platform 60 minutes is supposed to be fact-based journalism, not some kinda platform for conspiracy theorists lesley stahl should've been like "okay ms greeene we know you're spewing lies, can you prove it?" lol what's next, featuring alex jones on the show? cbs is more worried about ratings than doing the right thing, that's so sad to see

omg, I'm so done with CBS's decision to feature Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes this is literally a recipe for disaster - promoting conspiracy theories and hate speech is not journalism, it's just bad TV and let's be real, Greene's views are toxic, no one should give her a platform she doesn't deserve especially not after what we know about her history of spreading anti-Muslim and white nationalist ideologies the network should've fact-checked her claims way more thoroughly and called out her conspiracy theories for what they are - baseless and hurtful it's all about ratings vs responsible journalism, and that's just not okay