Rep. King Bashes Media's 'Mindless Hysteria' Over Islamic Radicalization Hearings

As NewsBusters has been reporting since last week, the media have been in full panic mode over hearings the House Homeland Security committee was scheduled to have concerning the radicalization of American Muslims.

At the conclusion of the first hearing Thursday, Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) gave a brief statement criticizing what he called the "mindless hysteria" of the press in the weeks leading up to this day (video follows with transcript and commentary):

MEGYN KELLY, HOST: Meantime, this is a Fox News alert. The chairman of the Homeland Security committee in the House speaking just moments ago. Several lawmakers talking about the hearings into how some American Muslims are getting radicalized. Let’s take a quick listen.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: …told the facts and the truth and I commend these gentlemen for what they did and I thank them very much.

REPRESENTATIVE PETER KING, CHAIRMAN HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE (R-NEW YORK): I’m now going to ask the witnesses to come forward. Let me just say also, I would hope, now that this hearing is over, that the media in particular would look back and reflect upon the mindless hysteria that occurred over the last two or three weeks, and not in the future rely so much on what opponents, such as CAIR and others, who do not want these type hearings, say. Again I think the hysteria and the madness leading up to this hearing did nobody much good and certainly didn’t reflect well on those who were reporting it.

Indeed it didn't. Here's a small sampling of that hysteria:

• Carl Bernstein, Cenk Uygur Team Up to Thrash Muslim-American Hearings as 'Un-American,' 'Coliseum-like Atmosphere'
• On Faith' Reprints Testimony of Sheriff Critical of Muslim Radicalization Hearings, But Not of Muslim Man Who Supports Them
• Andrea Mitchell's Revelation to GOP Congressman: 'You and I Are Both White'
• CNN to Rep. Peter King: Are You Obsessed With Muslim Radicalization?
• Networks Frame Congressional Hearings on Radical Islam as 'Witch Hunt,' All Cite CAIR Spokesman
• Another New York Times Attack on an Opponent of Radical Islam, Brigitte Gabriel
• Ezra Klein Balks at Rep. King's Islamic Radicalism Hearings; 'We've Had School Shootings From Young Christians'
• CNN's 'Highly Regarded Expert on Extremism': Radical Right a Bigger Terror Threat Than Jihadis
• CNN Hypes Muslims' 'Islamophobia' Worries Over Rep. King's Hearings