Media decries 'cancel culture' as those celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination online continue getting fired

The legacy media is slamming what many outlets have described as a "cancel culture" campaign from the right targeting those who've been fired for celebrating the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk. 

However, several outlets are downplaying the callousness of the social media posts in question. 

"After Kirk’s killing[,] a growing chorus of conservatives wants his critics ostracized or fired," a headline from The Associated Press read Sunday. 

The AP wrote, "After years of complaints from the right about ‘cancel culture’ from the left, some conservatives are seeking to upend the lives and careers of those who disparaged Charlie Kirk after his death. They’re going after companies, educators, news outlets, political rivals and others they judge as promoting hate speech. As elected officials and conservative influencers lionize Kirk as a warrior for free expression who championed provocative opinions, they’re also weaponizing the tactics they saw being used to malign their movement — the calls for firings, the ostracism, the pressure to watch what you say."

WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST FIRED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AFTER CHARLIE KIRK'S ASSASSINATION

People hold candles and sing during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

On Friday, The New York Times published a report about what it called "the widespread and fast-moving campaign of naming-and-shaming."

"The killing of Mr. Kirk, a hugely popular activist closely aligned with President Trump, was immediately met on the right by a tidal wave of grief-stricken rage on Wednesday afternoon — one that quickly turned into a thirst for vengeance. Several online social media personalities, some with enormous followings, called almost in unison for ‘war’ to be waged against those on the left they perceive to be their enemies" the Times wrote.

The Gray Lady said that conservative online influencers "have taken it upon themselves to recruit ordinary Americans to turn in fellow citizens for making comments about Mr. Kirk that may be nasty or disparaging, but are likely protected by the First Amendment," later adding "The attention brought to those attacking Mr. Kirk has come not only from big social media accounts, but also from dozens of smaller ones that have joined in the effort with a kind of gleeful energy."

PROFESSOR SLAMMED FOR 'DESPICABLE BEHAVIOR' WITH CONTROVERSIAL REPOSTS ON CHARLIE KIRK

The Washington Post ran the headline "Workers are getting fired, placed on leave over Charlie Kirk posts," telling readers online reactions "have become a litmus test for employers’ tolerance for political speech by employees, in public and private."

"Within 24 hours of Charlie Kirk’s killing, an assistant dean at a Tennessee college, a communications staffer for an NFL team, a Next Door employee in Milwaukee, and the co-owner of a Cincinnati barbecue restaurant were fired after posting about it," The Washington Post began its report on Friday. "They had all used language or memes their employers deemed offensive or insensitive about the 31-year-old conservative firebrand. Kirk evoked strong feelings along party lines, and the fatal shooting in Utah on Wednesday unleashed parallel outpourings: On the right, there were mostly mournful expressions and demands for retribution; on the left, there was mostly condemnation of political violence and some suggestions that he had it coming."

Charlie Kirk poses at The Cambridge Union on May 19, 2025 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Nordin Catic/Getty Images for The Cambridge Union)

NBC News ran a similar headline reading, "After Charlie Kirk's death, teachers and professors nationwide fired or disciplined over social media posts," reporting how educators "have been met with fallout over insensitive posts about Kirk’s death."

During Sunday's broadcast of "World News Tonight," ABC News anchor Linsey Davis told viewers "some are facing backlash for criticizing Charlie Kirk after his killing."

"Employees of airlines, schools and hospitals have been fired or disciplined for their reactions on social media. Secretary of [War] Pete Hegseth is ordering staff to identify and discipline service members who mocked or condoned Kirk's killing."

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK 

CNN’s Brian Stelter said there is a "coordinated conservative campaign to try to get people fired" in what he called a "new form of cancel culture," predicting "politically motivated firings" will only continue given the "tense" climate. 

"There are hundreds of examples of people being fired from their jobs," Stelter said Monday. "Most of the people were not public figures; they were anonymous until a few days ago when this conservative campaign organized online targeting people that it says are attacking Kirk, bashing Kirk, blaming Kirk for his own death."

CNN's Brian Stelter called the right's campaign of hunting down social media users gleeful of Charlie Kirk's assassination a "new form of cancel culture." (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)

"I want to point out that the range of offending posts has varied dramatically. There are some people in the dark corners of the internet celebrating Kirk’s murder, and I find that personally grotesque. You also have people out there who were performatively showing a lack of sympathy," Stelter continued.  

The Daily Beast told readers "Bereaved fans of the murdered far-right activist are hellbent on getting anyone who criticizes him fired from their jobs," mocking them as "keyboard warriors" and "Nazi Karens," a term coined by liberal critics of the pro-Kirk campaign.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

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