
(Shutterstock Image)
But if “watch your language” is the only thing you take away from the incident at CBS 58, you’ve only learned half the lesson. Watch your words, yes, but once you’ve carefully chosen them, share them.
The recent ham-handed firing of a popular meteorologist in Milwaukee over her social media posts offers a reminder of the power of language and the impact –or consequences– of our language choices. Some will say it means we should speak out less about things that we find troublesome. But if that’s all you take away from Sam Kuffel’s employment status, then you’ve only learned half the lesson.
For those unfamiliar: Some of WDJT-TV CBS 58’s viewers are now non-viewers—outraged that Kuffel was fired over posts on her personal account that sharply criticized billionaire Elon Musk for what we can fairly describe as a Nazi-adjacent salute. It is an unfortunate comment on the state of the world today that there is no longer near-universal agreement that we are free (and encouraged) to criticize all things Nazi.
Before we review Kuffel’s rights (and wrongs), let’s explore another red flag about the state of our media in the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
In his inaugural address, Trump offered this vague promise of being a free speech advocate:
“After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America. Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents.”
Instead, Trump’s actions have been in line with long-stated desires to intimidate and stifle speech that is critical of him. Trump’s head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, began his tenure by reversing previous FCC decisions so that he could sic the agency on NBC, ABC, and CBS based on complaints that range from baseless to laughable.
Does this mean we are going to see major networks and scores of TV and radio stations lose their licenses because Trump and his supporters want to silence any criticism? Probably not—but that was never the point. The point is to make an example of one or two so that other newsrooms will pull their punches, bring an end to fact-checking, and be less aggressive in their investigations of government waste, fraud, and abuse—now that it’s Trump minions who can commit the fraud and mismanagement.
This is not to say that newsrooms and individuals —from editors and reporters to meteorologists— should have a blank check to say whatever they want about Trump and allies like Elon Musk. They never had such a blank check. They were always subject to review, public scrutiny, and lawsuits for libel and slander. But for decades there had been a high bar to clear before elected officials could take actions that could shut down journalists. Trump is showing exactly why that bar was set so high. Everyone’s free speech rights suffer if journalists cannot report accurately and candidly about politicians who have immense power—including the power to ruin careers and put reporters in jail.
This takes us back to Sam Kuffel being against Nazis. Good for her, it should go without saying. But many of us have also experienced some or all of the angles in this kind of episode: Saying something that gets you in trouble. Cautioning a coworker not to say or send something in the heat of the moment. And disciplining someone for using language in public that makes a workplace look bad.
Poor language choices happen every day across our country. In hindsight, it’s easy to say Kuffel would have been better off if a friend or colleague had seen her draft and suggested it might make her bosses unhappy. But again, we’re talking about Nazis. Nobody should get fired for criticizing Nazis.
Some will say the takeaway is self-censorship. Stay out of trouble and just avoid criticizing the people currently in power. But the real lesson is that in the age of Trump, we need to be more mindful than ever of the power of language, choosing our words carefully, but also using them unapologetically. Take the power of your words and amplify them. Dissent is patriotic. (Insurrection is not. This is easy to understand, right?)
Sam Kuffel should not have been fired. She should have been counseled to choose her words carefully, consider their impact, and use her platform to its greatest potential. Maybe that means a post that simply says, “What do you see in this photo of Elon Musk?” or simpler still, a three word text post: “I’m against Nazis.” It wouldn’t make everybody happy, but it would center the dialogue where it belongs, on Nazism and Musk’s gesture rather than Kuffel’s career arc.
Same goes for the big newsrooms: broadcast, print, or online. This is no time to cower. This is a time for heroes who recognize attempts to squelch our freedom of the press. It will be difficult and expensive. There will be pushback from editors, publishers, executives, advertisers, and audiences. But broadcast licensees promise to operate “in the public interest,” not the interest of who’s in the White House; every newsroom should have that sentiment in their DNA.
Write ironclad stories and offer informed opinions. For example, it is my belief that Musk knew exactly what he was doing in making the gesture at an inaugural event for President Donald Trump. Any illusions that Musk’s arm gesture was misinterpreted are belied by his rhetoric (espousing the racist conspiracy of an immigrant-based “great replacement”) and his support in several countries for far-right political parties—including one party in the upcoming German election that wants to minimize or eliminate any shame about the Holocaust.
Musk was most certainly baiting the press and the critics. He was daring someone to criticize him so that the ire of Trump supporters would pressure, intimidate, and cancel those critics. Sam Kuffel has been canceled, at least only temporarily, one hopes. But she deserves to shine again, perhaps a little chastened about word choices but no less deserving of a First Amendment that applies equally to all.
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