Sam Kuffel Instagram comments led to firing. Your views on TV station's move.
Weeks after it happened, Journal Sentinel readers continue to have strong views on the firing of a local TV meteorologist following her comments critical of an arm gesture by Elon Musk, the head of the White House's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
More than 3,500 took a non-scientific poll asking if WDJT-TV (Channel 58) made the right decision to part ways with Sam Kuffel, leaving thousands of comments on the wisdom of that decision as well as the impact on free speech and "cancel culture" in the county.
Kuffel was fired from the Milwaukee CBS affiliate last month following posts on her private Instagram account that were critical of Elon Musk for an arm gesture that many have likened to a Nazi salute. It came during an event at President Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.
More: CBS58 had no choice but to fire Sam Kuffel for damaging TV station's image | Letters
Poll takers, 89%, overwhelmingly said the station made the wrong call. A similarly large majority, 86%, said they do not expect free speech to improve under President Trump. About 56% said her firing was an example of cancel culture.
She issued a short statement last month after the news became public.
"First, I just want to thank everyone for the tremendous support I've received," Kuffel said. "I was just voicing my personal opinion on a private social media account that was not accessible to the general public."
She had made a series of posts on her Instagram account. In the first, she shared a picture of Musk at a podium, saying, "Dude Nazi saluted twice. TWICE. During the inauguration." She added, "You (expletive) with this and this man, I don't (expletive) with you. Full stop."
Kuffel then posted a meme from the TV series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" along with a quote from the show: "Screw that old (expletive). He's a Nazi."
Thank you to everyone who took the poll and left comments. This is the final batch of the best of your reaction:
➤"In a world where conservatives claim to be the only political group that is dealt with censorship and that liberals have control of the media, this is a prime example of the opposite. Both sides of the political spectrum have their bias spewed into the public as fact, both sides cancel figures on the other side they disagree with. Yet both sides claim freedom of speech. If criticizing a public figure for doing what is a presumed to be a hate gesture gets you fired, you might as well burn the constitution. Freedom of press doesn't exist. Freedom of speech doesn't exist. Freedom in America has become a fallacy, and this is just the very first step in the plan for the downfall of this country." — Adam from Marinette
➤"Kuffel was hired to do the weather. By invoking her opinion even on non-station supported social media, she runs the risk of offending up to half the viewing audience of CBS58. It is unfortunate, but she made a conscious decision to invoke her opinion and is now learning the lesson of how it affects others." — Bernard from Brown Deer
More: We all saw what Elon Musk did. Kuffel did not deserve to be fired for the truth | Letters
➤"The arm gesture was very wrong and her comments on a non-CBS outlet is not a firing offense." — Steve from Erin, Wisconsin
➤"Guess CBS showed their true colors. Saying the truth is not OK anymore. Ironic. Will not watch CBS anymore and canceled my Paramount subscription as well. Our culture is Nazified already. CBS just proved it." — Mari from Milwaukee
➤"She did it on her own time, via her personal social media. And calling out what is inarguably a hateful gesture, coupled with Musk's own clear history of being (increasingly as days pass) a right-wing extremist, supporting alt-right and fascist groups world-wide. CBS58 should have just left it alone. She has a right to call a very bad thing a very bad thing on her own time in her own space." — Bob from Grafton
➤"She was employed as a 'weather person,' an employee who points to a screen with weather icons. She had a responsible job; she should have been a responsible person. Monitor your mouth and media. They pay the salary! Amazing there is such a desperate and sad situation that people watching TV 'identify' with her. Wonder if they actually read her comments?" — Rita from Pewaukee
➤"No, the current administration has been gas-lighting the public about this incident. The fact that news media organizations appear to be amplifying their gas lighting does not make it any better. Journalists are also people and entitled to their private opinions and can express those on their private accounts as well to their friends and family and should be able to do so without fear of repercussion." — Matthew from Oak Creek
More: Channel 58 fired meteorologist Sam Kuffel over Musk comments. What do you think? | Opinion
➤"I was shocked when I heard about Sam (Kuffel) being fired. I thought there was freedom of speech. This wasn't done on the air. The site she put her remark on isn't seen by everyone. In fact I knew nothing about it for a couple of days when I googled her name because I hadn't seen her give the weather for a while. I totally don't agree with her being fired. I no longer will watch (CBS58) news/weather reports." — Bonnie from Milwaukee
➤"If you are a member of the media or a high profile person you should expect to be held to a higher standard and be careful what you say in the public domain. Feel free to express your opinion but do it professionally and make sure you have all the facts and base your opinion on the facts and if you misrepresent the facts be prepared to face the consequences." — Ray from Waukesha
➤"I fully support her right and courage to speak against fascism rising in this country. Elon (Musk's) two salutes cannot be misinterpreted as anything but Nazi salutes. Any sane person knows this. But we have millions of people denying that Jan. 6, 2021 was not violent. Disinformation unfortunately is working and accepting it is deep in the American psyche." — Lisa from Oconomowoc
➤"I think Sam (Kuffel's) mistake was not remembering where she works and her celebrity status. She not only criticized the gesture, she used vulgar language. While she is entitled to her opinion, she voiced it in the wrong way." — Leslie from Mequon
More: Elon Musk salute ripples across US leading to Sam Kuffel in Milwaukee losing job | Opinion
➤"Musk gave a Nazi salute not once, but twice. Whether it was inadvertent or not, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... Where are all the MAGA supporters, who support misinformation and disinformation under the guise of the First Amendment? Why aren't they defending her free speech? The hypocrisy continues." — Mark from Waukesha
➤"I am unclear on what cancel culture means. The action by channel 58 is reflective of the deep fear and cowardice many media companies have of 'upsetting' viewers. This fear and cowardice overrides to report as close to the truth as they are able and expose their viewers/subscribers it varied reasonable points of view." — William from Milwaukee
➤"The Constitution says Congress shall make no laws infringing on a person's free speech. However, your employer can. These are the conditions of employment and when you are a public face you have a burden of responsibility to not offend your viewing audience. Even if every news personality in Milwaukee is a lefty, they should be presenting the news in an unbiased manner to the extent that they can. They don't, but they should." — Bernard from Brown Deer
➤"As I write this on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) I am horrified by this blatant lack of journalistic integrity. As the many hate groups have already stated, Musk's disgusting display has emboldened them tenfold. We need more people and organizations with Kuffel's integrity more now then ever. Channel 58 has shown beyond a reasonable doubt they are not one of those organizations." — Timothy from Waukesha
Jim Fitzhenry is the Ideas Lab Editor/Director of Community Engagement for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reach him at jfitzhen@gannett.com or 920-993-7154.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meteorologist fired by CBS58 over Instagram posts about Musk | Opinion
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