‘Media giants having to weigh editorial independence versus commercial ambitions’

Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is not just a late-night controversy. It opens up a larger question about the future of free speech in the United States — and about how far political power can reach into the media landscape. Our guest today is Julien Labarre, Political Scientist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Zurich. His work focuses on the intersection of politics, media, and democracy, and he’s illustrating all that’s at stake when lawsuits, regulatory pressure, and commercial interests collide. As the FCC becomes a political weapon, lawsuits turn into intimidation tactics, and media giants are forced to weigh editorial independence against billion-dollar mergers, we’re left to ask: Is freedom of speech even regarded as an American value?