MSNBC Host Joy Reid and Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Spar over ‘Book Bans’ in TV Interview

Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice recently appeared on MSNBC (Left bias) host Joy Reid’s show to discuss “book bans” in the American school system.

The Details: Reid took the position that the small number of individuals responsible for most book challenges should not disproportionately affect school library catalogs. She argued that books with explicit content should be allowed in school libraries and removing them would be like levying a tax on parents who want their children to have access to these books. Justice argued that parents should have the right to expose children to books with explicit content at their discretion. The conversation at one point devolved into both women trying to talk over each other.

For Context: Sources from the Left often conflate “book bans” with “book challenges,” a 2023 AllSides analysis found, which often muddies discussion of the issue. As many media outlets do, Reid cited the work of PEN America, which is cited less often by sources on the Right. PEN’s 2022 report was criticized by The Heritage Foundation (Lean Right bias) which published its own report via The Daily Signal (Right bias).

How The Media Covered It: The segment was only covered by sources on the Right who often showed bias against Reid. Mediaite (Lean Left bias) published a short piece highlighting a different MSNBC host’s reaction to the argument, focusing on how many times Justice said “dildo” in a short span. The Hill (Center bias) published an opinion by Derek Hunter of Townhall (Right bias).