Candace Owens On WARPATH After Leaked Emails Reveal Firing

Breaking Points
1 Apr 202411:59

Summary

TLDRThe transcript discusses the departure of Candace Owens from The Daily Wire, with Ben Shapiro explaining the distinction between a publisher and a platform. He argues that The Daily Wire, as a publisher, has the right to make editorial decisions, including parting ways with hosts whose views fall outside their Overton window. The conversation highlights the hypocrisy in the free speech debate, particularly when it comes to discussing Israel and Palestine. It also touches on the reaction to other media figures and organizations, emphasizing the importance of true commitment to free speech across all topics.

Takeaways

  • 🤝 Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro allegedly agreed not to speak about the circumstances of her departure from The Daily Wire.
  • 🗣️ Shapiro explained the distinction between a publisher like The Daily Wire and a platform, emphasizing the publisher's right to make editorial decisions.
  • 🚫 The Daily Wire has an 'Overton window' which defines the range of acceptable opinions within the organization.
  • 💭 There is a perceived hypocrisy in the defense of free speech, as some topics like Israel are considered off-limits for discussion, despite advocating for a broader range of speech.
  • 🤔 The situation raises questions about the commitment to free speech principles, especially when it comes to contentious issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict.
  • 📢 Candace Owens' departure has sparked a public conversation about the limits of free speech within media organizations that claim to support it.
  • 💼 The Daily Wire's stance on hiring and the 'Overton window' was highlighted by the organization's CEO, Jeremy Boreing, in an internal town hall meeting.
  • 📱 An email sent to Daily Wire employees during the town hall meeting prohibited cell phones and limited attendance to full-time staff, indicating a controlled narrative.
  • 🧐 The script suggests that the departure of Owens might be related to her critical stance on Israel, which is a sensitive topic within the organization.
  • 🤨 The incident reflects a broader issue within media organizations about the selective application of free speech principles based on ideological convenience.

Q & A

  • What is the main issue discussed in the transcript?

    -The main issue discussed in the transcript is the departure of Candace Owens from The Daily Wire, the reasons behind it, and the implications it has on the concepts of free speech and the Overton window within media organizations.

  • What is the Overton window?

    -The Overton window refers to the range of ideas and opinions that are considered acceptable or mainstream within public discourse. It is named after Joseph P. Overton, a former vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, who coined the term.

  • How does Ben Shapiro differentiate between a publisher and a platform?

    -Ben Shapiro differentiates a publisher from a platform by stating that a platform should allow a broad range of speech, including opinions that may not align with the creators' beliefs. In contrast, a publisher, like The Daily Wire, can choose to subsidize particular opinions and does not have a moral obligation to pay for or promote views that fall outside their Overton window.

  • What was the alleged reason for Candace Owens' departure from The Daily Wire?

    -The alleged reason for Candace Owens' departure from The Daily Wire is a non-meeting of the minds, specifically related to her views on Israel and the situation in Gaza, which were seen as falling outside the Overton window of the organization.

  • How does the speaker in the transcript criticize the handling of the situation by The Daily Wire?

    -The speaker criticizes The Daily Wire for being hypocritical in their stance on free speech, especially when it comes to the issue of Israel. They accuse the organization of selectively applying the principles of the Overton window and silencing views that do not align with their own, which contradicts their self-proclaimed commitment to free speech.

  • What is the significance of the email sent to employees at The Daily Wire mentioned in the transcript?

    -The email sent to employees at The Daily Wire is significant because it allegedly shows an attempt by the organization's leadership to justify Candace Owens' departure by smearing her as an anti-Semite in front of their staff. This is seen as evidence of the organization's internal handling of the situation and their efforts to control the narrative.

  • What is the speaker's stance on the Overton window?

    -The speaker is critical of the Overton window concept, arguing that they do not believe in it and that people should be able to express any opinion, even the most extreme ones. They believe that this openness allows for the emergence of truth and is beneficial to society.

  • How does the speaker connect the situation with Candace Owens to broader issues of free speech?

    -The speaker connects the situation with Candace Owens to broader issues of free speech by highlighting the selective application of free speech principles by various media organizations. They argue that true commitment to free speech should extend to all viewpoints, especially on contentious issues like the situation in Israel and Gaza.

  • What is the speaker's view on the role of media organizations in relation to free speech?

    -The speaker argues that media organizations, if they claim to be committed to free speech, should allow for a wide range of viewpoints and not censor based on ideological convenience. They criticize organizations that practice censorship and propagate certain narratives while suppressing others.

  • What does the speaker suggest as an alternative to mainstream media organizations?

    -The speaker suggests the development of independent media organizations that are subscriber-funded as an alternative to mainstream media organizations. They believe that such organizations can provide a platform for a diversity of opinions and uphold the principles of free speech more consistently.

  • How does the speaker describe the importance of the situation involving Candace Owens?

    -The speaker describes the situation involving Candace Owens as revealing and significant because it highlights the hypocrisy and inconsistency in the application of free speech principles by certain media figures and organizations. They argue that it underscores the importance of truly upholding free speech, even when it comes to controversial topics.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Candace Owens' Departure from The Daily Wire

This paragraph discusses the departure of Candace Owens from The Daily Wire and the subsequent non-disparagement agreement between her and Ben Shapiro. It highlights the distinction between a publisher and a platform, with Shapiro arguing that The Daily Wire, as a publisher, has the right to make editorial decisions and does not have a moral obligation to pay a host whose views may fall outside the company's Overton window. The paragraph also touches on the perceived hypocrisy in how The Daily Wire and other organizations handle controversial figures and viewpoints, particularly when it comes to discussions about Israel and abortion.

05:02

🗣️ Free Speech and the Overton Window

This paragraph delves into the concept of the Overton window and how it relates to free speech within media organizations. It critiques the selective application of the Overton window by organizations like The Daily Wire, which claims to support free speech but enforces boundaries when it comes to certain topics, such as Israel and abortion. The summary also mentions other instances where media figures have faced consequences for crossing these unspoken lines, and it challenges the notion of a free speech organization that profits from promoting certain viewpoints while suppressing others.

10:03

📢 The Role of Media in Shaping Public Discourse

The final paragraph addresses the role of media organizations in shaping public discourse and the responsibility they bear in presenting facts. It criticizes The Daily Wire's handling of the situation with Candace Owens and argues that by not allowing discussion of certain facts, such as the situation in Gaza, they are not fulfilling their duty as a news organization. The paragraph calls for transparency and honesty from media outlets, especially those that claim to champion free speech, and it encourages the audience to support independent media that strives for genuine journalistic integrity.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Candace Owens

Candace Owens is a conservative commentator and political analyst who was associated with The Daily Wire. In the context of the video, her departure from the organization is a central topic, with discussions surrounding the reasons behind it, including disagreements over her views on certain topics such as abortion and Israel.

💡Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro is a conservative political commentator, editor emeritus, and co-founder of The Daily Wire. In the video, he is discussed in relation to his comments on the differences between publishers and platforms, and how these concepts apply to The Daily Wire's decision regarding Candace Owens' departure.

💡The Daily Wire

The Daily Wire is a conservative news website and media company founded by Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing. It is the organization with which Candace Owens had an employment relationship, and the video discusses the circumstances surrounding her departure from the company.

💡Overton window

The Overton window is a concept in political theory that refers to the range of ideas and policies that are considered acceptable or mainstream within a society at a given time. In the video, it is used to discuss the limits of acceptable discourse at The Daily Wire and how it influenced the treatment of Candace Owens.

💡Free speech

Free speech is the principle that individuals are free to express their opinions without fear of government retaliation or societal sanction. The video discusses the complexities of free speech within the context of private organizations like The Daily Wire and the implications of limiting or controlling speech.

💡Hypocritical

Hypocrisy refers to the act of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In the video, the term is used to describe perceived inconsistencies in the actions and statements of The Daily Wire and its leadership, particularly in relation to their stance on free speech and the treatment of Candace Owens.

💡Israel

Israel is a country in the Middle East and a central topic in the video due to its connection with Candace Owens' commentary and the reasons behind her departure from The Daily Wire. The video discusses the sensitivity around discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how it relates to the limits of free speech within conservative media.

💡Platform vs. Publisher

This concept differentiates between a platform, which provides a space for a broad range of user-generated content, and a publisher, which curates and controls the content it disseminates. The video discusses this distinction in the context of The Daily Wire's actions and its implications for free speech and content moderation.

💡Jeremy Boreing

Jeremy Boreing is the CEO of The Daily Wire and co-founder alongside Ben Shapiro. In the video, his role is discussed in relation to the organization's management and decision-making, particularly concerning Candace Owens' employment and the subsequent fallout.

💡Censorship

Censorship refers to the suppression or prohibition of speech considered politically unacceptable or harmful. The video discusses the concept of censorship in the context of private media organizations like The Daily Wire and how it relates to their content policies and the treatment of Candace Owens.

💡Media bias

Media bias occurs when media outlets present news or information in a way that favors a particular perspective or ideology. The video touches on this topic by examining how The Daily Wire's content policies and the handling of Candace Owens' departure may reflect a certain ideological bias within the organization.

Highlights

The departure of Candace Owens from The Daily Wire, with an alleged agreement not to speak about it publicly.

Ben Shapiro's explanation on the difference between a publisher and a platform, emphasizing The Daily Wire's stance as a publisher with an Overton window.

Shapiro's argument that The Daily Wire has no moral obligation to pay a host who holds views outside their Overton window, such as being staunchly pro-abortion.

The public fallout and discussions surrounding Candace Owens' departure, indicating a non-meeting of the minds.

Comparison to NBC News' decision on R McDaniel, highlighting a perceived double standard in media organizations' handling of controversial figures.

Critique of the right's response to the narrowing of the Overton window and the call for its complete explosion.

The hypocrisy in The Daily Wire's stance on free speech, particularly when it comes to views on Israel.

The revelation that Candace Owens was hired with full knowledge of her controversial views, except when it came to Israel.

Jeremy Boreing's reported stance on never hiring anyone who claims a genocide in Gaza is happening, indicating a potential double standard.

The concept of the Overton window and how it is used to justify firing or not hiring individuals based on their views.

Candace Owens' critique of Israel and the genocide narrative, which seems to be the tipping point for her departure from The Daily Wire.

The behind-the-scenes account of the impromptu town hall meeting at The Daily Wire, where employees were told not to bring cell phones and independent contractors were excluded.

Candace Owens' public response to Ben Shapiro, pointing out the contradiction in his public statements about not discussing the issue.

The discussion on the importance of free speech, especially in the context of Israel and Palestine, and the impact on careers and societal discourse.

The critique of media organizations that claim to support free speech but practice censorship when it comes to certain topics.

The call for honesty and transparency in media organizations' stance on free speech and their commitment to journalistic integrity.

The promotion of independent media organizations as a counter to mainstream media, funded by subscribers and aiming to replace failing media structures.

Transcripts

00:00

there's been some updates um on the

00:01

firing or I guess departure of Candace

00:04

Owens uh Ben Shapiro and Candace

00:06

allegedly apparently agreed not to speak

00:08

about it and yet uh in some recent

00:11

interviews Shapiro has been shedding

00:12

some light into his thinking as to why

00:15

it was not hypocritical to fire or at

00:18

least have Candace Owens depart his

00:20

organization the daily wire here's what

00:22

he had to say in an interview with Dave

00:23

ruin the difference between a publisher

00:25

like the daily wire and a platform like

00:27

locals is obviously that a platform

00:29

should have a very broad range of speech

00:31

that it allows including speech that

00:33

maybe even the creators don't believe is

00:35

inside what they would consider to be

00:36

the Overton window it's a very different

00:37

thing then direct subsidization of

00:40

particular opinions so the daily wire

00:43

would not have a host would not pay a

00:45

host who was staunchly pro-abortion it

00:48

have no obligation to Bay a host who is

00:49

staunchly pro-abortion and so when it

00:52

comes to the host on The Daily wire

00:54

obviously everyone was able to say what

00:55

they want nobody ever comes to me and

00:57

says you can't say x nobody ever says

00:58

that to Wal no one ever said that to C

01:00

do but the reality is that there is an

01:03

Overton window at the daily wire

01:05

obviously there was a non- meeting of

01:07

the minds that's pretty much all I can

01:08

say on this uh and you know a lot of

01:11

this has happened publicly uh but you

01:15

know to the extent that that the daily

01:17

wire is in fact not a publisher it is a

01:19

PL that is in fact not a platform it is

01:20

a publisher that means that there is no

01:22

moral obligation for the daily and

01:24

there's no free speech problem with the

01:25

daily wir saying we don't wish to pay a

01:27

particular host or that host saying I

01:29

don't wish to work here anymore because

01:31

again there's a parting of the ways that

01:32

I'm that you know is not really open for

01:35

discussion at this point this week NBC

01:37

News deciding that ra McDaniel was too

01:39

much for them R McDaniel can't work in

01:40

NBC News the sacred Halls of NBC News

01:42

must not be sullied by the former head

01:44

of the RNC Jens sakei however can have a

01:46

show on MSNBC despite being the press

01:48

secretary for the White House 5 seconds

01:50

ago right the the the right's response

01:52

to that is I think correct to say you

01:56

guys have shut the Overton window too

01:57

tight but I think some elements of the

01:59

right have basically said there is no

02:00

Overton window the Overton window should

02:02

be completely exploded so the defense

02:04

that he just gave there is the exact

02:07

defense of Facebook Twitter and Google

02:09

Crystal every single time that they take

02:11

somebody down we are not a platform or

02:14

we are a publisher and Publishers get to

02:16

make editorial decisions and yet when it

02:19

was flipped around that we commonly

02:22

understand that that is a form of

02:24

censorship it is obviously a term which

02:26

is difficult to update to our modern

02:28

laws but we can at least

02:30

understand that there are speech within

02:32

Overton window of which Shapiro has long

02:34

advocated include him but now is saying

02:36

and she can't and shant include others

02:39

it seems that with Candice you know the

02:41

other thing is hypocritical too when he

02:42

was talking about abortion is they hired

02:44

her with full well knowledge of who she

02:46

was how she is and of her hero her

02:50

willingness to say and whatever they

02:52

want and they were happy with it for

02:54

everything except whenever it came

02:57

towards Israel and that's the other

02:58

thing too is I believe believe Jeremy

03:00

boring who is the CEO of the

03:02

organization the daily wire had said for

03:04

example he would never hire anybody um

03:07

who said that the quote there was a

03:08

genocide that was happening in Gaza so

03:10

it's like you have two lines at the at

03:12

the wire you have abortion I mean I that

03:15

one's understandable to me given the

03:17

history of the organization but now it's

03:19

Israel and it's like oh hold on a sec I

03:22

thought this was an organization that

03:24

covered American politics and was

03:26

talking about American Free Speech but

03:28

here is just a little bit too much for

03:30

Mr for Mr Shapiro well how I love how

03:33

suddenly we're getting very nuanced

03:36

we're getting very parsey about this uh

03:39

whole Free Speech conversation and the

03:41

comments about Ron MCD I mean he's

03:43

really got to work to try to justify

03:45

that one because it's very plain to see

03:47

all right well if you know you think

03:49

it's Justified to fire Candace because

03:51

her views fall outside of your quote

03:53

unquote Overton window then don't

03:54

complain when NBC News fires Ron

03:57

McDaniel don't complain when a backlash

04:00

over a Tom Cotton upad in the New York

04:02

Times they're a publisher exactly

04:04

perhaps this was outside of their

04:06

Overton window so it shouldn't be

04:08

published don't complain I mean it's

04:10

just so clear that the moment it came to

04:14

this issue that very core for him

04:17

suddenly everything he had said in the

04:18

past is gone and he's got to find 15

04:20

different ways to try to justify it

04:22

Nuance it craft this response to try to

04:26

hide the fact that he has done a 180

04:28

when it comes to free speech and just to

04:30

pick up on what you were saying about

04:32

they knew who Candace was she they were

04:34

fine and and this question also over

04:36

whether it was you know she was fired

04:38

for genuinely anti-semitic comments

04:40

which I think some of her comments you

04:42

can say were fall in the category of

04:44

genuinely anti-semitic in my personal

04:46

opinion or whether it was over her

04:47

position with regards to Israel and I

04:50

think it's very clear because prior to

04:53

getting hired by the daily wire she had

04:55

said that thing about if Hitler just

04:56

wanted to make Germany great and have

04:58

things run well okay fine that was no

05:02

problem for the daily wire she had

05:04

defended Kanye even he's out there

05:07

literally saying I love Hitler that was

05:11

fine no problem but the minute that she

05:15

has a critique of Israel and is willing

05:18

to say we are watching a genocide unfold

05:22

no that's the line and there was there

05:24

were a couple other things that were

05:25

really interesting as well because Sager

05:28

he said that thing oh we didn't tell

05:29

anybody they can't they can't we didn't

05:31

never told Canada she can't say anything

05:33

yeah well most of these news

05:35

organizations MSNBC CNN Fox News they're

05:39

not overtly telling their staff you

05:41

can't say this about Trump or you must

05:43

say this about Trump but everybody knows

05:46

what that quote unquote Overton window

05:48

is Candace knew where the Overton window

05:51

was she just wasn't willing to abide by

05:55

those rules and strictures and so just

05:57

like at CNN with Mark Lamont Hill or

05:59

MSNBC with medy Hassan when they went

06:03

outside of where they knew the lines

06:05

were they're gone so you're just like

06:08

them that's the bottom line you're just

06:10

like them don't pretend like you're yeah

06:11

you're you exactly and that's the other

06:13

thing is you need to understand that the

06:15

what if you are going to position

06:16

yourself and make million not even

06:18

Millions hundreds of millions of dollars

06:20

as a free speech organization whose

06:23

entire Purpose By the way is to blow up

06:25

the Overton window and you know what in

06:26

a certain sense part of what I despise

06:28

the most about that was he's like well

06:30

we need to have some Overton window I'm

06:32

like oh now we need to have some Overton

06:33

window um I'm like by the way I don't

06:35

even believe in it I think people should

06:36

be able to say anything even the

06:38

craziest because in general that's

06:40

how a lot of Truth can emerge you really

06:42

have no idea in the actual moment and I

06:45

think that's actually very good for

06:47

society but now all of a sudden he does

06:49

believe in uh you know where things

06:50

should be and it's like well you don't

06:51

see the hypocrisy on how that's used

06:53

against you on transgenderism or any

06:56

race and all these other issues that

06:58

these guys have made whole career years

06:59

you know speaking out against here they

07:01

are lock step with Jonathan greenblat

07:03

and all of them over at the ADL who they

07:05

have criticized a million times so in

07:07

the words of Glenn green weld that is

07:09

what makes me absolutely sick there's

07:11

also some uh uh evidence too about how

07:14

this all went down behind the scenes

07:15

let's go and put this up there on the

07:17

screen this account censored men don't

07:19

know who this gentleman or who this

07:20

woman is but uh been doing some great

07:22

work they have actually put out this was

07:24

the email sent to employees at the daily

07:26

wire informing them of the impromptu

07:28

Town Hall that br Jeremy boring had

07:30

organized employees were told not to

07:32

bring their cell phones to the meeting

07:33

independent contractors would not be

07:35

allowed to attend at the Town Hall daily

07:37

wire leadership attempted to smear Owens

07:39

as an anti-semite in front of their

07:40

employees to justify their hiring and

07:43

you can see the evidence of that town

07:45

hall which is very clearly increased uh

07:48

included there for the emails that were

07:50

sent to their entire staff let's go to

07:52

the next part here please because you

07:54

can see too Candace is saying quote Ben

07:56

we agreed not to talk about this but you

07:58

are very much going on a public right

07:59

now pretending not to talk about it

08:01

while you were very much talking about

08:03

it would you like me to do the same part

08:05

of the reason Crystal at Candace is so

08:07

dangerous is that her husband is a son

08:08

of a billionaire and so uh let's just

08:11

say she is not hurting for cash and she

08:13

truly is she has if there is such a

08:15

thing as fbu money she's got it so good

08:18

for her I hope she continues yeah I mean

08:20

it's it's a very revealing situation and

08:24

and part of why is so important is

08:26

because there's always been this

08:28

incredible BL spot on the right even at

08:31

the peak of their supposed Free Speech

08:33

commitment when it comes to Israel and

08:35

Palestine and the number of people this

08:38

is like the number one issue that will

08:41

get you cancelled careers ruined and you

08:44

have this whole like war path against

08:46

students at Harvard led by Bill Amman to

08:49

try to destroy their career prospects

08:51

for the entire rest of their lives for

08:53

participating in protests and doing

08:55

rally chants that he found to be

08:57

objectionable like if you actually

08:59

consistently care about Free Speech you

09:02

have to care about Free Speech when it

09:04

comes to this issue no matter what you

09:06

think about Israel and Gaza and Hamas

09:09

and what's happening right now because

09:10

it is about that principle of free

09:13

speech and so it is you know it's sort

09:15

of it's sort of perfect that it comes

09:18

down to Candace stepping out on the line

09:20

on a line when it comes to Israel that

09:22

that's what it comes down to and not

09:24

just Ben Shapiro but so many others on

09:27

the right including Dave ruin really

09:29

showing their ass when it comes to their

09:31

actual commitment to free speech which

09:34

is only comes into play when it is

09:36

people in speech that they find to be

09:38

ideologically convenient for themselves

09:41

and you know I actually want to uh

09:42

recall the comments that Rogan made in

09:44

the context of Candace getting fired and

09:48

you know you you brought up abortion Ben

09:50

said listen you know we would never hire

09:52

someone who's Pro abortion here okay

09:53

fair enough that is a a moral position a

09:58

philosophical moral position on a

10:00

political Spectrum Rogan's point was

10:02

basically you know whether you want to

10:04

use the term genocide or not you have to

10:07

be able to deal with the facts of what

10:09

is happening here which are not that's

10:12

not an opinion right that's facts in

10:14

reality so I would even put this issue

10:18

outside of you know a sort of like

10:20

political sphere of debate because

10:22

clearly you aren't even at the the daily

10:25

wire you aren't even allowed to really

10:27

discuss the fact of what's unfolding

10:29

you're certainly not allowed to call it

10:32

a genocide when you have you know you

10:33

special rapur you have the icj saying

10:36

it's plausible you have numerous human

10:37

rights organizations saying this so if

10:40

if you can't even speak to the just the

10:42

facts and reality of what's Happening

10:45

then you can't really call yourself a

10:47

news organization and no I don't think

10:49

that that's an appropriate quote unquote

10:50

Overton window to have where you as a

10:54

condition of working there you have to

10:56

deny reality that's unfolding in front

10:59

of you that's that's insane and like I

11:01

said you can't call yourself a newed

11:03

organization there you're just a

11:04

propaganda outlet and that's that yeah

11:06

and that's fine you know be honest about

11:07

that but don't be raising hundreds of or

11:09

you know asking people Shilling asking

11:11

for hundreds of millions of dollars and

11:12

buying Jeremy's razors and chocolates

11:15

and all the other things that these

11:17

people have done to position themselves

11:19

is outside of this spefic specifically

11:21

the job of trying to crack the so-called

11:23

mainstream and to expand the Overton

11:25

window correctly in my opinion include

11:28

some of the viewpoints that they have

11:29

over there and then experience and

11:31

partake in the exact same censorship

11:34

tactics that they did whenever you were

11:36

speaking out so I think it's really

11:37

really disgusting I also refer people to

11:39

Glenn Greenwell's commentary on the

11:40

subject it was absolutely fantastic hey

11:42

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