Former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez has apologized for the "inartful" comments that got him fired — he called comedian Jon Stewart a bigot and suggested that Jews run CNN and other news networks. But in the aftermath, several influential commentators have asked whether there is really anything so offensive about pointing out that there are many Jewish executives in the news business. Was Sanchez fired simply for telling the truth? (Listen to Sanchez's comments)
Jews are certainly very influential: "If Sanchez was referring to people in the television news business, he's wrong," says Brian Palmer at Slate. Not one of the major television news outfits is currently run by a Jewish executive. "There are more Jews at the head of the country's major newspapers, but it's still a stretch to say these publications are controlled by them." Tinsel Town, however, "is a different story" — Jews are disproportionately represented among top film directors and studio executives.
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