The firing of Zac Kriegman highlights the risks of discussing facts and research that challenge popular narratives in the workplace.
Reuters' news reporting diverges from data and perpetuates misinformation surrounding police shootings, raising concerns about accurate reporting.
The focus on police bias and ongoing racism by the Black Lives Matter movement may overshadow the real challenges faced by black communities, hindering genuine examination and discussions about societal solutions.
Deep dives
Racial Bias and Wrongful Termination
Zach Kriegman, a former director of data science at Thomson Reuters, was fired for pointing out research that challenged the core claims of the Black Lives Matter movement. He cites a study by Roland Fryer that found no evidence of racial bias in police shootings and also highlighted the increase in violent crime due to decreased policing. Kriegman is now suing Reuters for wrongful termination.
Challenges of Cancel Culture
Kriegman's case is seen as an extreme example of cancel culture and the enforcement of ideological orthodoxy. His firing highlights the risks individuals face when discussing facts and research that go against popular narratives, and the suppression of critical dialogue within workplaces.
Reuters' Misrepresentation of Facts
Kriegman raises concerns about Reuters' news reporting, which he claims diverges from the data and perpetuates misinformation. He points out specific instances where Reuters misreported incidents involving police shootings, omitting important details that could lead to misinterpretation.
Impact of Black Lives Matter on Policing and Crime
The podcast delves into the broader impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on policing and crime rates. Kriegman and the podcast host discuss the potential consequences of the anti-police rhetoric promoted by Black Lives Matter, including the notion that such rhetoric may have led to a decrease in proactive policing, resulting in an increase in violent crime, particularly affecting minority communities.
The Misconnection: Black Lives Matter and Homicide Rate
The podcast explores the connection between the Black Lives Matter movement and the increase in homicide rates. The speaker provides evidence from different cities showing that when there is a highly publicized shooting and the police are under investigation, there is a dramatic spike in the murder rate. This pattern repeats nationwide, including the case of Minneapolis after George Floyd's death. The discussion highlights the negative impact of the movement's focus on police bias and ongoing racism, which may overshadow the real challenges faced by black communities.
The Tribal Nature of Belief and Ignorance
The podcast delves into the tribal nature of beliefs and the ignorance that inhibits open conversations about important issues. It reveals how people prioritize belonging to their tribes over objectively assessing facts. The discussion emphasizes the reluctance of white people to challenge the narrative promoted by the Black Lives Matter movement due to fears of being labeled racist or ostracized. This tribal mentality hampers honest discussions and prevents a genuine examination of the causes and solutions to societal challenges.
My guest today is Zac Kriegman. Zach was a director of data science at Thomson Reuters before he got fired for posting a fact-based criticism of Black Lives Matter in an internal memo. This is one of the worst examples of Cancel Culture and enforced orthodoxy around the issue of race that I've seen in a while. Zach was fired for pointing to research by Roland Fryer who I just had on the podcast, and others, which showed that there was no anti-black bias in police shootings as well as that DOJ investigations into police departments in certain cases caused an increase in homicides due to the police pulling back.
Now as a director of data science at a major media company that has a respected fact-checking wing, part of Zac's job was to ensure that Thomson Reuters was using data accurately and he got fired for doing exactly that. Now he's suing Reuters for wrongful termination. In the meantime, Zac has a substack, where he has posted the memo which got him fired, as well as some other essays. You should definitely go check that out.
In this conversation, we talk about the circumstances surrounding his firing and we primarily speak on the substantive issue of BLM and the effect it has had on policing and crime. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too.
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