ID, CBS News to air racism specials

Protestors in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd
(Photo: Fibonacci Blue via CC)

Investigation Discovery (ID) and CBS in the US are the latest broadcasters to air programming examining racism and police brutality following the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police on May 25.

ID will air The Murder of George Floyd: A Nation Responds and CBS News will air primetime special Justice for All, anchored by Gayle King, this evening.

The Murder of George Floyd: A Nation Responds (1×60′) will be a panel discussion about police violence, law enforcement reform and activism across the country, hosted by ID’s Tony Harris.

Those set to feature on the panel include former Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, racial justice attorney, author and activist Lurie Favors and civil rights activist and organiser of Campaign Zero, Deray McKesson.

It will be simulcast on Facebook Watch and YouTube during the network airing and will also be made available ad-free on IDGo. It is being produced for Investigation Discovery by October Films.

“The arc of the moral universe is bending right before our eyes with this huge, global outcry for change. Now is the time to continue to push the discussion forward,” said veteran journalist and host Harris.

“This panel includes leaders who are entrenched in this movement, some with varying viewpoints, and I’m proud to share their thoughts with ID’s viewers.”

The special will lead into the global premiere of OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go from Here, hosted by Winfrey, on Discovery’s OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network and simulcast across every Discovery network in the US.

“This conversation will not be comfortable but it will be open, honest and informative. Black Americans have expressed this outrage before, and now is the time to listen and learn what actions must be taken to move our country forward,” ID said in a statement.

Justice for All, meanwhile, will explore the nationwide fury over racism and brutality in policing in the wake of Floyd’s death and will be simulcast on fellow ViacomCBS-owned networks CBSN and BET.

CBS This Morning co-host King will anchor the one-hour primetime special that “explores how this tragic confrontation ignited a movement demanding an end to the painful history of systemic racism and brutality in police departments across the country,” said CBS News.

US networks have been tearing up their schedules to make room for special programming following Floyd’s death and subsequent protests across the country, which have continued into this week.