Justin Schlosberg, Gary Francione and Marina Purkiss Tilda Storey Law

Media professor Justin Schlosberg, professor of philosophy and law Gary Francione and political commentator and campaigner Marina Purkiss discuss the issues around cancel culture and free speech.

Cancel culture has been one of the biggest topics surrounding freedom of speech in the last decade. In 2019, JK Rowling tweeted in support of Maya Forstater. Forstater’s employer had declined to renew her contract after she repeatedly claimed on social media messages that transgender women are men. Piers Morgan then described Rowling as ‘showing outstanding moral courage as she stands up to vile woke mob’. Republicans now also talk of a ‘woke mind virus’. Presidential candidate Ron Desantis says ‘We will fight the woke in the legislature. We will fight the woke in education. We will fight the woke in the businesses. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.’

Who, if anyone, deserves to be cancelled? Is cancel culture the end of free speech? Or is it a way for the public to hold individuals accountable? Is being woke really a ‘mind virus’, or just awareness of prejudice and injustice?

Schlosberg is professor of media and communications at the University of Westminster, co-founder of the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, and Edmund J Safra Network Fellow at Harvard. His books include Disinformation: A Critical Perspective.

Francione is a world-leading authority on animal rights. He is a professor of law and professor of philosophy and was the first academic to teach animal rights theory in an American law school. His books include Why Veganism Matters.

Purkiss is a political commentator and campaigner. She features on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, LBC, BBC radio, Sky News and Piers Morgan’s Uncensored, and has her own ‘politically charged (but fun)’ podcast, The Trawl.

Discussions are chaired by Tilda Storey Law.