A wave of firings has followed since the killing of controversial right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. From TV hosts and journalists to professors, critics who spoke honestly about his record have faced consequences, even as Kirk is elevated as a martyr by the right. What does this backlash reveal about who gets to speak freely in the US today?

In this episode:
Manisha Krishnan (@manishakrishnan), Senior Culture Editor, WIRED

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Tracie Hunte, and Sarí el-Khalili, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Kisaa Zehra, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, Haleema Shah, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid, and Kisaa Zehra. Our host is Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.  Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

A wave of firings has followed since the killing of controversial right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. From TV hosts and journalists to professors, critics who spoke honestly about his record have faced consequences, even as Kirk is elevated as a martyr by the right. What does this backlash reveal about who gets to speak freely in the US today?
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>Manisha Krishnan (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/manishakrishnan.bsky.social/post/3lj3sv3rm5k2t">@manishakrishnan</a>), Senior Culture Editor, WIRED</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Tracie Hunte, and Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Kisaa Zehra, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
The Take production team is Marcos Bartolom&eacute;, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, Haleema Shah, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are&nbsp;Farhan Rafid, and Kisaa Zehra. Our host is Malika Bilal.&nbsp;
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.&nbsp; Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera&rsquo;s head of audio.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

Advertisement