Kirk’s death doesn’t justify breaking First Amendment
By The Poly Post Editorial Team, September 30, 2025
To live during a time when journalists must clarify they stand for free speech is not just disturbing but irritating.
Journalism is built on the First Amendment, and we use it to do our job of informing the people. The number of times we’ve read about people getting fired for talking about Charlie Kirk is frustrating.
Disney’s ABC was the most recent assailant of the sling of firings across the country. The company pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show citing a two-minute monologue he performed on air Sept. 15, after threats from the Federal Communications Commision. President Donald Trump celebrated Kimmel’s firing and threatened to pull licenses from broadcasters who air criticism.
“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,” Kimmel said.
He also criticized Trump for his response to Kirk’s death, and the rhetoric of officials like FBI director Kash Patel and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Then, three days after his show was canceled, Disney went back on the decision and Kimmel’s show rose from the dead.
If Disney hadn’t received so much flak after canceling Kimmel, or lost market value, it’s possible that his show would have never been reinstated. It’s concerning to think that if there were enough people backing Disney, the media giant would have violated the First Amendment without any thought.
This is important because The Walt Disney Company, through its subsidiaries, owns multiple media entities including National Geographic, ESPN, ABC and Fox Networks Group. How are people supposed to gain trust in their networks if they know a commercial company can decide what is truth and what isn’t?
Even Candace Owens, right-wing political commentator and close friend of Kirk, warned about this decision.
“Our solution to being angry at each other always seems to be ‘Let’s give the government more power,’” Owens said in a YouTube video clipped on Instagram.
She said this in response to the chairman of the FCC threatening federal action against ABC affiliates due to Kimmel’s statements. It’s concerning to us that the FCC, a government entity that regulates radio, television, and cable, would rather focus on the censorship of Disney instead of the fact that it is a large monopoly, for example.
Kimmel was just one of dozens we’ve seen so far get punished for criticizing the situation.
While Disney went back on its decision, others from different companies will still suffer the consequences. One of The Poly Post editorial team’s family members was kicked out of their house after speaking unkindly about Kirk.
This dramatic shift is upsetting and completely unacceptable.
It’s important to the editorial board of The Poly Post to uphold the First Amendment, but the students at Cal Poly Pomona support it too.
During the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, students commented on our staff’s opinion pieces on Instagram to say their piece about the situation. Healthy debate is not only important for reaching truth, but it can also be a way to bring the campus community together, rather than keeping us divided.
Every aspect of Kirk’s death has been disconcerting: the fact that it happened so suddenly on a college campus, or that it overshadowed the actual problem of rising gun violence; the unsettling memorial-turned-rally where only politicians spoke, and pyrotechnics exploded on stage. America saw someone die in an extremely violent way, and we’re all slowly processing it.
The fact is – we can’t control what others say, we can only punish them for it. No one could control the fact that what Kirk said during his life hurt a lot of people, but should we punish people fortalking about it? Bringing to light someone’s speech and actions isn’t wrong, and it’s what journalism is built off.
It’s okay to criticize someone, we shouldn’t be afraid to do that. People often misconstrue the public’s criticism with actual violence. Violence was done by Kirk’s shooter. Now we’re faced with achoice: cause more harm or minimize it.
Nexstar and Sinclair, which run dozens of stations affiliated with ABC, decided they still won’t run Kimmel’s show. Politicians want to say Kirk died protecting free speech. If that’s what he really died for, then how can companies be the arbiters of who’s speech is free?
The Poly Post will continue to support the fundamental right to free speech, no matter what institution threatens to tear it down.
Feature graphic by Connor Lālea Hampton
