CBS News Gives Ann Coulter Airtime in the New Year

The notoriously provocative author Ann Coulter is back in the mainstream media this week promoting her new book. This time CBS News The Early Show chose to give Coulter a platform to tout her latest work, entitled, Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and their Assault on America.

Although Coulter did non discuss any gay issues during her January 6 appearance on CBS News The Early Show, she did have a tense discussion with host Harry Smith, who before the interview questioned whether he should have invited her on in the first place.

“Ann Coulter is in the studio this morning. She has a brand new book. It’s called Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and Their Assault on America, and in it, she says that I am certifiably insane. Perhaps I am, for having her –- on the program this morning.”

In December Media Matters for America put NBC News on notice about a potential January 6 appearance by Coulter on NBC’s The Today Show. We at GLAAD also called NBC Universal executives with our concerns about Coulter’s past anti-gay defamation on NBC Programs. As Reuters reported yesterday NBC cancelled Coulter’s January 6 appearance due to an apparent scheduling conflict, but seemed to indicate the door is wide open for future appearances by Coulter:

“We’ve had Ann Coulter on ‘Today’ many times, but because of the news in Washington and the Middle East, we decided to cancel her appearance tomorrow,” NBC News said in a statement Monday. “Understanding the media as well as she does, we are sure she knows this happens from time to time. We look forward to welcoming her back in the future.”

We urge NBC, CBS and all mainstream outlets to carefully consider the wide range of inflammatory rhetoric Coulter has spouted over the years including numerous anti-gay outbursts. We applaud Media Matters for America for continually speaking out about Coulter and sharing all of her past vitriolic statements. GLAAD will also continue to hold the media accountable for giving pundits like her a voice to promote intolerance.

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