Following the January 7 attack on the newsroom of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, 12 people were killed. The attack, instigated by the magazine’s cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, raised numerous questions: what limits should be placed on the press’s liberty to offend another’s religious beliefs? Should freedom of the press be boundless?
“It’s so easy to rally behind the flag of free speech,” says University of Oregon professor Dr. Christopher Chávez, “and not understand the true implications that that free speech might have on marginalized communities.”
In episode 2 of Crossings Radio’s Paris series, host Emerson Malone considers the contentious French publication, and speaks with Chávez about the role of press freedom after the attack on the newsroom.
