Hard Knock Radio: Jennifer L. Pozner on Censorship, Power, and the Media’s “Bending of the Knee” and Poor News Magazine

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In the wake of the campus-rally killing of Charlie Kirk—and the immediate media sanctification that followed—Hard Knock Radio host Davey D sat down with media critic and author Jennifer L. Pozner to connect the dots between shock headlines, corporate deals, and a chilling new phase of state pressure on speech. The conversation opened with Davey D framing the moment: public grief and outrage quickly morphed into a climate where educators, journalists, and comedians faced swift punishment for even contextual criticism. Pozner, founder of Women in Media & News and author of Reality Bites Back, came ready with receipts—and warnings.

From Late Night to a Larger Playbook

The flashpoint was Jimmy Kimmel’s “indefinite suspension” from ABC after he mocked Donald Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death. Pozner emphasized that Kimmel expressed condolences and rejected violence; the bit targeted hypocrisy and political score-keeping. That distinction matters, she argued, because satire’s job is to “punch up,” not coddle power. When regimes muzzle comics and censor journalists, she said, that’s the autocrat’s playbook.

Pozner traced a throughline: FCC chair Brendan Carr publicly pressed ABC affiliates to preempt Kimmel and warned Disney there were “remedies” if they didn’t “do the right thing”—language Pozner called mob-boss talk from a regulator meant to protect the public interest, not police speech. The message: corporate compliance or regulatory pain.

Lawsuits, Mergers, and the Price of Silence

Beyond Kimmel, Pozner laid out a broader pattern she documents in her forthcoming graphic-nonfiction project (title in flux): frivolous lawsuits against outlets like ABC/Disney and CBS/Paramount, quietly settled not because they were strong but because multi-billion-dollar mergers and regulatory favors hung in the balance. Paramount’s settlement was followed by Stephen Colbert’s ouster and the axing of The Late Show franchise—then speedy merger approvals. Nexstar’s push to absorb Tegna, Disney’s pursuit of Fubo, and other deals formed the backdrop for what Davey D called “bending the knee.”

The takeaway, Pozner said: for conglomerates, $15–$16 million legal payouts are pocket change if compliance unlocks billions. Whether executives personally like Trump is beside the point; profit over public interest rules the room.

Hypocrisy and the Weaponization of “Offense”

Davey D pressed on a common defense: if people get fired for offensive speech on one side, isn’t turnabout fair play? Pozner drew a firm line between community accountability for hate speech that harms vulnerable groups and the state using regulatory power to punish critics of those in charge. The first is public debate; the second is state censorship, and it’s the line democracies cannot cross.

She also challenged the instant revisionism around Kirk, noting Turning Point USA’s Professor Watchlist and its impact on Black women scholars and others who faced harassment once targeted. That, she argued, fits the logic of stochastic terrorism: rhetoric that doesn’t issue explicit commands but signals violence to willing actors.

Beyond TV: Control of the Press Itself

Perhaps most alarming, Pozner said, is the White House seizing selection of the press pool, a function historically managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association to keep government from deciding who gets access. Hand-picking friendlier outlets is another step toward managed information and away from a free press.

What Now?

For Pozner, the response can’t be passive. She called for letters and calls (more effective than online comments) to Disney and other media owners; pressure on Congress to hold hearings on FCC overreach; and solidarity for journalists, educators, and comedians who hold power to account. Davey D underscored the urgency, noting that when you line up the suspensions, settlements, DEI rollbacks, and merger greenlights on a single page, the pattern is hard to miss.

Follow Jennifer L. Pozner: @jennpozner (IG/BlueSky), Jennifer L. Posner on Facebook. Her next book—published by First Second Books—is in motion; title update pending.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Hard Knock Radio: Jennifer L. Pozner on Censorship, Power, and the Media’s “Bending of the Knee” and Poor News Magazine appeared first on KPFA.

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