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Southern California Radio Discussion of Free Speech on Social Media's Gab Includes Prof. Jeff McCall '76

Southern California Radio Discussion of Free Speech on Social Media's Gab Includes Prof. Jeff McCall '76

October 29, 2018

"The social networking website Gab is now facing an uncertain future because of the Pittsburgh shooter, who was was a user of the site," notes Southern California's KPCC-FM. "The site, which markets itself as a free speech alternative to Facebook and Twitter, has faced criticism for creating a forum for white nationalism, anti-Semitism and other hate speech. On Monday, Gab was 'no-platformed' by its hosting providers, pay sites like PayPal and App stores."

A segment on today's edition of AirTalk examined the issue of a free and unbridled social media platform and included analysis from Jeffrey M. McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University.

There are "conflicting fundamental principles" in play, Dr. McCall told host Larry Mantle. "We want a society where we act civil and we respect each other, but we also have in our nation now, of course, the fundamental principle of free speech as operationalized in the First Amendment, and Gab is taking the more absolutist approach to free speech.  I think at some point we need to find some sort of workable in-between area between absolutism and free speech versus total censorship or oppression of speech."

The DePauw professor was joined in the conversation by Jody Armour, professor of law at the University of Southern California, and Kelly McBride, senior vice president at the Poynter Institute.

A clip is embedded below.  The program can be heard at the radio station's website.

A 1976 graduate of DePauw and a former journalist, Jeff McCall returned to the University in 1985 as a faculty member.  He is regularly quoted in stories on media matters and was cited this month in a Washington Times article on Hillary Clinton's recent television appearances. He also authored a column for The Hill on the state of media, 60 years after a famous speech by journalist Edward R. Murrow.

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