"With shows as big as Kimmel’s being pulled off the air, what does that say about the safety of smaller university publications?" (Alexander Cruz / Graphics Editor)
On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk, a right-wing podcast host, was shot and killed by a gunman while speaking at Utah Valley University. This left the media in a frenzy, with many media outlets covering the shooting. One such outlet was “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who spoke about the shooting on Sept. 15 during one of his airings of his late-night show.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” said Kimmel on Kirk supporters’ reaction to the shooting.
This was in response to conservative political leaders characterizing Kirk’s killer as an angry liberal outburst to Kirk’s extremist beliefs and how outspoken he was on his podcast.
Following the comment, Kimmel’s show was suspended from the network for a week, seemingly as a repercussion for what he said on the show. However, this was a poor choice by the network, considering the show is so popular, with high ratings and very little, if any, obscene behavior. The cancellation caused outrage across the nation.
Whether or not people agree with what Kirk’s previous comments were, or what Kimmel had to say on his death, it is within both of their rights to speak on what is happening in the country. To pull Kimmel’s show from the air was censorship, and it is a red flag that the current administration was okay with this happening. The network was met with outrage from the sitting President when it was announced that Kimmel’s show would be back on the air.
“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,” Trump said on his personal X (formerly known as Twitter) account upon Kimmel’s return.
This is concerning for journalists all over the country, especially up-and-coming journalists currently attending university.
Like many universities, Rowan has their own student news publication, The Whit. This publication is welcome to report on the goings on throughout the campus, the state, and issues in the nation. Students are free to voice their opinions, concerns, and report on the news.
With the pressure ABC faced to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” it seems that the amendment that allows freedom of speech is not yet being directly broken, but it is being threatened.
This behavior may continue, and eventually it could affect student journalists. Students would face limitations and may have to walk on eggshells instead of writing what they observe or investigate in order to write their articles. With shows as big as Kimmel’s being pulled off the air, what does that say about the safety of smaller university publications?
It says that they are in danger. Small news publications, like The Whit and other university and college papers, are the backbone of student journalism. Not only does it create writers who go on to be the Kimmels of the world, but it also allows for campuses to be involved in the news cycle and have a voice of their own.
If The Whit were to publish a piece on something going on within Rowan and it was not well received by the school administration, that wouldn’t give them the right to pull the article, let alone shut down the publication as a whole. The Whit’s freedom of speech would have been violated, and many writers would be out of a publication to write for.
When you reach the point of large productions, such as Kimmel’s show, it is not hundreds of students out of work, but thousands of people — people who may have families relying on them — who are now out of a job. If journalists are silenced and no longer feel safe to report on what they observe, the information that keeps the everyday person up to date on what is going on within their community, which they have every right to know, is now being ripped away from them.
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