On September 17th, Disney’s ABC pulled the popular talk show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ off the air after the showrunner, Jimmy Kimmel, made remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death which occurred the week before.
For the past two weeks, the situation with Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show has ignited the debate on free speech and government censorship, a topic that was already quite popular as of late. His show being pulled off-air led to controversy among viewers, with some protesting the decision and others rejoicing about it (most notably Trump, who posted on X “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than Colbert, if that’s even possible.”) While many of these opinions came from a political standpoint due to his comments, the majority of people were concerned if the action went against his right to speak freely. So, was Kimmel’s right to freedom of speech violated?
Legally, no.
Under the First Amendment to the U.S Constitution, it states that free speech is protected against government, including the government persuading and/or pressuring third-party companies to censor the speech. Government officials are allowed to criticize what is being said, but aren’t allowed to use their power to suppress it.
In Kimmel’s case, not much could have been done unless there was evidence to prove that the government persuaded ABC into taking his show off the air. Fortunately, Kimmel’s show returned last Tuesday night with an average of 6.3 million viewers, where he shared a lengthy monologue on free speech, as well as addressing the comments he made on his last episode, clarifying that “…it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t, I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
I believe there is something to be said about the whole thing, particularly in the case of journalism. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are very special, and very delicate to us journalists. It’s the whole reason we are able to do what we do. When ABC pulled Kimmel’s show off the air, his rights may not have been violated, but it certainly felt as if they were.
Kimmel’s situation is just a piece in the larger conversation about freedom of speech. He had all the right to say what he did on his show, even if many people disliked it and criticized him for it. It’s perfectly fine to disagree with what he said—or what anyone says—which I think is highlighted perfectly during Kimmel’s monologue, when he thanked his supporters—and his criticizers. “And maybe, weirdly, maybe, most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway.”
No matter your position, it’s unjust to see someone get censored over an opinion or a comment. That’s when the line is crossed, even if nothing was violated legally.
If we allow government officials and companies to continue censoring journalists, talk show hosts, or even comedians, then how are we supposed to keep exercising our rights? How do we spread awareness on issues happening in our world, or speak against harmful rules? Even if you aren’t a journalist, freedom of speech is still extremely important. The First Amendment allows us the right to criticize our government, speak on topics, even do things as simple as sharing a contradicting opinion. It may seem like an obvious thing—everyone has the right to say what they want—but there’s still many places in the world that don’t get that luxury. Under the YouTube comment section of Kimmel’s return, hundreds of people from places like Ukraine, Germany, Brazil, Nicaragua and Cameroon voice their support for Kimmel’s show and speak on their own country’s issues with government suppression of free speech. When learning about these situations, it only makes the First Amendment that much more valuable.
As a journalist, and as a human, I will fiercely defend the people’s right to speak freely. It is a vital aspect of our lives, and without it, we’d be trapped in a single way of thinking, unable to question, learn, and grow from one another. As Kimmel said, “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
