General Discussion

I was struck by the contrast between two recent events: ABC News suspending veteran correspondent Terry Moran for his comments on Stephen Miller and Donald Trump, and the enduring legacy of Edward R. Murrow's takedown of Senator Joe McCarthy, as captured in yesterday's live performance of "Good Night, and Good Luck" on CNN.

Murrow’s historic achievement was not based on opinion, but on a simple, powerful principle: that a journalist's strongest accusations should be supported by evidence, especially the subject's own words. He used McCarthy’s own rhetoric to expose his hateful methods to the American people.

By this standard, Mr. Moran's statements were not baseless. His characterization of Stephen Miller is substantiated by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has published detailed reports on Miller's extremism. Similarly, President Donald Trump's extensive history of remarks that have been widely condemned as hateful is a matter of public record.

The issue, therefore, is not a lack of evidence, but ABC's decision to prioritize a superficial sense of impartiality over its duty to confront documented extremism. True journalistic fairness does not mean avoiding warranted criticism. ABC News should reinstate Mr. Moran and allow him the opportunity to defend his statements with the wealth of public evidence available. To do otherwise is to betray the very principles of courageous, fact-based journalism that Murrow championed and that ABC News should continue to embrace.