The headlines had it wrong. Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t taken off the air for anything he said about Charlie Kirk and his killer. It was his comments about Donald Trump that got him in hot water.

When the news story first broke that the late-night talk show host had been taken off the air, I was confused. His comments on the Kirk shooting weren’t funny, but they didn’t seem offensive. Nothing that would justify his removal from the airwaves.

So I sought out the complete monologue. The reason for his suspension became obvious: he embarrassed Donald Trump.

I have no opinion on Kimmel as a comedian/host. I know his name, but had never watched him before. I figure all American late night talk show hosts are pretty similar – and not worth staying awake for. Their comedy is supposed to be edgy. They are supposed to mock the status quo. That’s what people tune in for.

These days though it is a dangerous job to have. First Stephen Colbert and now Jimmy Kimmel are being censored by their employers because they have ruffled the feathers of the administration. Media corporations are part of conglomerates and the last thing they want to do is sacrifice profit on the altar of free speech.

This isn’t government censorship – but it is the logical outcome of news organizations no longer being independent. Self-censorship becomes the order of the day. That make it easer for government to stifle potential criticism.

Many years ago I lived in a country where the news media would not criticize the president. He was always referred to deferentially, no matter the situation. Pointing out the reality could be detrimental to your health – it was the sort of country where critics could easily vanish. never to be seen again.

Is the United States headed in that direction? There are probably those who think so.

Or maybe there are those already in power who wish it was so. Does that scare you?