© 2025 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

What Ancient Rome and Greece can teach us about comedians and free speech

By Chloe Veltman
Published September 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM EDT

As president Donald Trump celebrates the cancelation of comedians Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert and says he hopes the same fate will befall others who have been similarly critical, a look at the comedians in the ancient world who faced serious penalties for making jokes about the powers that be and what lessons we can learn from their stories about the fate of free speech in this country.

Copyright 2025 NPR
Chloe Veltman
Chloe Veltman is a correspondent on NPR's Culture Desk.
WRVO is at a critical moment.
Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.
Support WRVO now