50 signatures reached
To: HarperCollins
De-Platform Piers Morgan
Hello. My name is Dr. Jennifer Wood and I am a social work educator.
While Piers Morgan loves to stir up controversy and get people talking about him, that doesn't mean we should give him a platform to do so.
Morgan is a ring-wing English journalist known for his long-running CNN show, Piers Morgan Live, which ended in 2014 due to low ratings and criticisms of Morgan's discourse on gun control, women's rights, fatphobia, transphobia, etc. Since then, he has taken to Twitter to promote these views using expletives and scare tactics that are typically reserved for Fox News audiences.
HarperCollins Publishing announced a month ago that they would publish a book by Morgan in September 2022. Many wonder why HarperCollins would be associated with someone whose violent attacks on marginalized communities have increasingly dominated the headlines - HarperCollins Publishing is a division of News Corp, which also owns Fox News. Due to Morgan's history of bias against women of color, fatphobia and body shaming, sexual harassment, misogyny, and transphobia, his return to News Corp is on-brand.
Why is this important?
Morgan made some atrocious comments about Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on Good Morning Britain. He stormed off stage after questioning Meghan's honesty in an interview with Oprah Winfrey regarding life as a royal and her treatment.
Morgan's remarks underplayed Meghan's mental health, which was hurtful to her and everyone with mental illness. The situation cannot be ignored. Morgan's comments about Meghan on-air and in his tweets are merely attacks disguised as journalism.
Since Morgan was suspended from Good Morning Britain, the controversy surrounding his return to News Corp has been met with significant backlash from all corners of the literary and media worlds. His history of bigotry and harassment lead to him being fired from The Daily Mirror back in 2004 after writing defamatory and transphobic comments about transgender reporter Zoey Tur during an appearance on the showbiz show Extra.
Ofcom, the media regulator in the U.K., received 57,793 complaints about his remarks toward Meghan. Despite this, Morgan was recently deemed not to be in violation of the British broadcasting standards. We cannot, however, enable anyone who encourages harassment towards women of color, fatphobia and body shaming, sexual harassment, misogyny, and transphobia. Cis white men rarely take responsibility for their harm and are rewarded instead.
Piers Morgan's book deal with HarperCollins must be terminated. Piers Morgan has an extensive history of bias against women of color, fatphobia and body shaming, sexual harassment, misogyny, and transphobia. These are violent and incite hate, and should not be further amplified.
Jennifer Wood, PhD, MSW