Concerns Over Free Speech in America
Free speech seems to be on shaky ground in the U.S. lately, largely due to Brendan Kerr, a leading police officer at the Federal Communications Commission. Or at least, that’s what many critics are saying. They argue that the FCC chairman is threatening companies like Disney and its ABC network, and even targeting Jimmy Kimmel over his comments on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which some deem as absurd and misleading.
The First Amendment is supposed to protect a wide range of speech, including what you see on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” where Kimmel implies that “Magagang” is manipulating Kirk’s assassination narrative to paint the perpetrator in a specific light. The assailant, I believe, was a left-wing extremist, obsessed with the idea of trance, something Kimmel should have been cognizant about. This is perhaps why Kerr decided to confront him, reminding Kimmel that ABC and Disney have dealings with his agency. Kimmel’s remarks could jeopardize their standing, and it seems like Kerr wanted to set the record straight.
This situation has drawn the ire of the left and its mainstream media allies, who are claiming that the Constitution is being violated right before our eyes and that there’s a kind of totalitarian takeover underway, with Trump and his FCC chair leading the charge. It’s been stated that Disney should suspend Kimmel.
But let’s be honest—Brendan Kerr isn’t the first or the most alarming individual to raise doubts about the First Amendment. In fact, his reference to the Communications Act of 1934, advocating for “public interest” guidelines in local television, is something Congress intended when looking to limit things like obscenity and Kimmel’s excessive antics.
Shifting Media Landscape
There’s a stark reality here. We’re living in a time where interviews seem to be manipulated to present politicians in a better light, not to mention that ABC’s “The View” is sometimes treated as a legitimate news source, even when the hosts indulge in disparaging comments about Trump.
Kimmel’s remarks clearly align with a trend of leftist biases present in regulated media that, ideally, should reflect diverse political views.
So, how did we get here? Well, we might have to trace it back to the Obama administration, particularly the various stipulations imposed on Comcast back in 2011 when it attempted to acquire NBCUniversal. These stipulations not only included questionable hiring practices but also mandated diversity measures that added to the mix.
The consent ruling explicitly stated that NBCUniversal needed to report annually on its diversity efforts, with particular focus on programming and procurement. These transparency requirements affected not only the U.S. government but also several racial advocacy groups, including the NAACP.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why conservative voices are often missing from shows like Colbert’s or why personalities like Al Sharpton have such consistent presence on MSNBC, this is part of the reason. Comcast has claimed to have ceased following these consent rulings after their expiration in 2018, yet it appears that the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics has lingered.
Concerns Over Online Censorship
In a related vein, last week Google acknowledged that it had banned certain YouTube creators for not adhering to guidelines related to Covid-19. This decision reportedly came after persistent outreach from high-ranking officials, including those from the White House.
Facebook has faced similar pressures, with the Biden administration’s actions scrutinizing major banks to restrict services for conservative accounts. It’s a complicated picture, and one has to wonder—did Brendan Kerr have any role in this so-called “debanking”?
