Mehdi Hasan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mehdi Hasan
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Hasan in 2019
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| Born |
Mehdi Raza Hasan
July 10, 1979 |
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| Education | Merchant Taylors' School Christ Church, Oxford (BA) |
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Notable work
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| Television | The Café, Head to Head, UpFront, The Mehdi Hasan Show |
| Children | 2 |
Mehdi Raza Hasan (born July 10, 1979) is a British-American journalist, author, and broadcaster. He is known for his work on major news networks and for starting his own media company, Zeteo.
Hasan hosted The Mehdi Hasan Show on the streaming service Peacock and the TV channel MSNBC. In January 2024, he announced he was leaving MSNBC. A month later, he began writing for The Guardian newspaper as a columnist.
He is the author of the book Win Every Argument. He also co-wrote a book about the British politician Ed Miliband. Hasan has hosted several TV shows, including Head to Head and UpFront for Al Jazeera English. In 2024, he launched his own digital media company called Zeteo News.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Mehdi Hasan was born in Swindon, England. His parents were Shia Muslim immigrants from Hyderabad, India. He went to a private school called Merchant Taylors' School.
After finishing school, Hasan studied at the University of Oxford. He went to a college called Christ Church and graduated in 2000. He earned a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).
Career in Journalism
Early Career
Hasan started his career in television working for the ITV network. He was a researcher and producer for a show hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby. He also worked for a short time on the BBC's The Politics Show.
Later, he worked for Sky News and Channel 4. In 2009, he became a senior editor for politics at the New Statesman magazine. He then became the political director for The Huffington Post website in the UK.
Work with Al Jazeera and The Intercept
In 2012, Hasan joined the English-language news channel Al Jazeera English as a presenter. He hosted a debate show called Head to Head, where he interviewed important public figures. In 2015, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for Al Jazeera full-time. There, he hosted a weekly show called UpFront.
From 2018 to 2020, Hasan also hosted a podcast called Deconstructed. It was produced by the news website The Intercept. On the podcast, he discussed current events and interviewed well-known people like Noam Chomsky and Bernie Sanders.
The Mehdi Hasan Show
In October 2020, Hasan started his own show, The Mehdi Hasan Show, on NBC's streaming service, Peacock. In March 2021, the show also began airing on the MSNBC television channel every Sunday.
The show featured interviews with famous guests. These included actor Mark Ruffalo, comedian Jon Stewart, and politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In November 2023, MSNBC announced that the show would be ending. Hasan hosted his final show on January 7, 2024, and announced he was leaving the network.
New Projects in 2024
After leaving MSNBC, Hasan started new projects. In February 2024, he became a regular columnist for The Guardian newspaper.
That same month, he launched his own media company called Zeteo News. The name "Zeteo" comes from an ancient Greek word that means "to seek out" or "to find the truth." The company creates articles, podcasts, and videos. In June 2024, it was announced that Hasan would return to host new episodes of Head to Head for Al Jazeera.
Political Views
Hasan has shared his opinions on many important topics throughout his career.
Views on Past Comments
In 2009, Hasan made some comments in a sermon that were later criticized. In 2019, he apologized for these remarks. He said he deeply regretted them and that his views had changed over time.
Gaza War
Hasan has spoken about the Gaza War. In early 2024, he wrote an article for The Guardian asking U.S. President Joe Biden to help end the conflict. He has also said that he believes the views of Palestinians are not shown enough in American media.
Saudi Arabia
Hasan has been a critic of the government of Saudi Arabia. In 2019, he argued that Western countries should stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. He made these comments after the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Hasan had interviewed Khashoggi in the past about free speech in Saudi Arabia.
India
Hasan has criticized the government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has expressed concern about the country's democracy and the treatment of minority groups. He has also spoken about human rights issues in the region of Kashmir.
Personal Life
Hasan is married and has two daughters. He became a citizen of the United States on October 9, 2020. He is a fan of the Liverpool F.C. football club.
Awards and Books
Hasan has received several awards for his work in media. In 2019, he won the Society of Professional Journalists' award for Online Column Writing.
He has written two books:
- Ed: The Milibands and the making of a Labour leader (2011), co-written with James Macintyre.
- Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking (2023).
