Mehdi Hasan is going independent.
The former MSNBC host will launch a new publication called Zeteo, combining video, podcasts and text journalism that Hasan says in a video introduction “will bring you hard-hitting interviews and unsparing analysis that you won’t find elsewhere.”
Hasan is working with Substack on the launch, with subscription prices set at $8 per month or $72 per year. There’s also a $500 per year “founding member” option that includes a signed copy of his book and exclusive Zoom calls with the host.
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In the introductory video, Hasan showed off a Zeteo-branded studio and teased that the outlet is “not just me.”
“I’ve been busy a la Nick Fury assembling an Avengers-style team of contributors, the kind of big names from media activism and Hollywood that will blow your mind,” he said.
Hasan exited MSNBC last month after the cable news channel canceled his Sunday evening program The Mehdi Hasan Show. Hasan’s show was canceled as part of a broader shakeup of MSNBC’s weekend programming, though many viewers bemoaned the cancellation of a program hosted by a high-profile Muslim host given the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Hasan was known for his tough interviews, many of which would go viral on social media after running on his MSNBC program. He suggests in the Zeteo video that he intends to continue doing those interviews. By going independent, he is also betting that the ability to reach consumers via these digital platforms will also translate into meaningful subscriptions.
“Will you join me and help build Zeteo from the ground up by becoming a subscriber, a paid subscriber?” he asks in the video. “Sign up below, and let’s change the news together. Because it’s time for a new media organization that isn’t afraid.”
