Spin Watch (9/18/25)

ABC cancels ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ following Charlie Kirk controversy

This article uses language to frame the cancellation of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as a righteous response to “offensive and insensitive” comments. The language of “offensive and insensitive” employs a moralistic tone that implies legitimacy and fairness in the decision to cancel the show. However, it conceals the structural coercion at play: a media network exerting its power to silence a dissenting voice in the name of “national political discourse.” The framing of the event as a “controversy” further legitimizes the cancellation by suggesting a broad societal consensus against Kimmel, ignoring the potential diversity of public opinion.

The report also employs euphemistic language in describing the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk as holding a “leftist ideology” and having been “increasingly radicalized.” These phrases gloss over the complex, individual motivations behind violent acts, reducing them to partisan labels that serve to reinforce existing political divisions. The use of “radicalized” implies a process of external manipulation, deflecting responsibility away from individual agency and societal factors.

Original Article


Graffiti suspect arrested after Jewish sites defaced in Halifax

In this article, the language subtly legitimizes the police response to instances of racist graffiti, framing it as a necessary action in the face of “promotion of hatred.” This narrative overlooks the structural violence inherent in the policing system, which often results in suppression of speech and assembly, particularly among marginalized communities. While hate speech is rightly condemned, the unquestioning celebration of police intervention disregards these broader systemic issues.

The report also uses euphemistic language in describing the rise of antisemitism in Canada as a result of Hamas’s “attack on Israel.” This phrasing simplifies a complex geopolitical conflict into a one-sided act of aggression, obscuring the power dynamics and historical injustices at play. Furthermore, it implicitly attributes the rise of antisemitism in Canada to external, foreign actors, diverting attention from homegrown bigotry and societal structures that enable such hatred.

Original Article