Hollywood's Motion Picture Production Code, popularly referred to as the Hays Code, loomed over films in every stage of movie production from 1934 to 1968. Scripts were reviewed and altered. Actors and filmmakers were forced to redo entire scenes. Editors were asked to cut dialogue and scenes from films. Music was changed. Ultimately, directors had to be cognizant of the censors at all times. In this episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we interview three prominent guests to track t...
Aug 12, 2021•46 min
Morris Ernst may be the most influential free speech lawyer you've never heard of. He was the longtime general counsel for the ACLU, helped found the National Lawyers Guild, and just about single-handedly whittled away at obscenity laws in the United States — even litigating the famous "Ulysses" case, which overturned a 13-year ban on James' Joyce's renowned novel. But he was an enigma: A staunch anti-communist and sometimes red-baiter, a close confidant of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, an unoff...
Jul 29, 2021•46 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Stetson University Professor of Psychology Christopher J. Ferguson for a wide-ranging conversation about the psychology of censorship, the role of madness and eccentricity in shaping history, the effects of social media, the growing polarization and politicization of modern institutions, including academia, and more. Ferguson is the author of the new book "How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rule...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 21 min
This week, the United States Supreme Court vindicated the First Amendment rights of a high school cheerleader who was punished for a salty Snapchat she sent outside of school. It was a resounding victory for free speech advocates and the first time the Supreme Court has considered a high school free speech case since its disappointing 2007 ruling in Morse v. Frederick . On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we analyze the Supreme Court's ruling in Mahanoy Area School Distr...
Jun 24, 2021•46 min
Socrates' fateful hemlock. Henry VIII's death decree for those who imagined his downfall. The 1836 "Gag Rule" banning slavery discussions in Congress. Britain's early ban on films criticizing Hitler and Stalin. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by lawyer and writer Eric Berkowitz to discuss his fascinating new book, " Dangerous Ideas: A Brief History of Censorship in the West, from the Ancients to Fake News ." Berkowitz's "Dangerous Ideas" is a comprehens...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 19 min
What differentiates Albert Einstein from a madman? How do we turn disagreement into knowledge? How do we know what's true in a world filled with disinformation, conspiracy theories, trolling, and social media pile-ons? On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Jonathan Rauch to discuss his new book "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth," which is set for release on June 22, 2021. Also joining the conversation is...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Rebellion! Crime! Juvenile delinquency! On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , producer Chris Maltby explores the rise of comic books in the early 20th century and the moral panic, book burnings, and censorship that followed. Show notes: "The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare And How It Changed America" by David Hajdu "The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder" by Bob Corn-Revere "A National Disgrace" by Sterling North " Puddles of Blood ," Time Magazine,...
May 20, 2021•42 min
Are education schools secretly driving campus censorship? On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Lewis & Clark Associate Professor of English Lyell Asher to discuss his 2018 article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, " How Ed Schools Became a Menace ." Also joining the conversation is FIRE President & CEO Greg Lukianoff, co-author of the bestseller " The Coddling of the American Mind ." Show notes: Transcript " Educating School Leaders " by Arth...
May 06, 2021•1 hr
Ninth grader Brandi Levy was frustrated when she didn't make her high school's varsity cheerleading team so she posted an intemperate video about it on Snapchat to her 250 "friends." Four years later, that video, which led to her suspension from the junior varsity cheer team, will take center stage at the United States Supreme Court. Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. is a case that University of Florida Professor Frank LoMonte says will determine "the future of student free speech." On today'...
Apr 22, 2021•45 min
Editor's note: A previously published version of this episode featured an incorrect audio file for a different FIRE podcast. The error has been fixed and the correct audio file uploaded. We apologize for the error. Retired University of Wisconsin Professor Donald Downs is a legendary champion of free speech and academic freedom. But before he became one of the country's preeminent defenders of these values, he wrote a book that challenged prevailing free speech arguments. On today's episode of S...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 13 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we discuss the newly formed Academic Freedom Alliance , which is a union of American college faculty members dedicated to protecting faculty expressive and academic freedom rights. Keith E. Whittington is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Professor Whittington is the chair of AFA's Academic Committee. He also is a member of FIRE's Board of Directors. Transcript www....
Mar 25, 2021•58 min
There are very few exceptions to the First Amendment, and "incitement to imminent lawless action" is one of them. In the wake of former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial over his alleged incitement of the Jan. 6 violence at the U.S Capitol, this obscure legal doctrine has captured headlines. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we discuss the incitement doctrine, and whether Trump's Jan. 6 speech amounted to incitement, with First Amendment scholar and FIRE Legal...
Mar 08, 2021•40 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we explore a multi-year public records odyssey at the University of California, Los Angeles involving former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a campus appearance, administrative stonewalling, and, finally, a successful lawsuit filed by FIRE. And, on the eve of Student Press Freedom Day , we learn about the challenges student journalists face accessing public records in the University of California system and why access to such record...
Feb 25, 2021•19 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by media lawyer Ian Rosenberg to discuss his new book, " The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases That Define Our First Amendment Freedoms ." Rosenberg is assistant chief counsel at ABC, Inc., where he has provided pre-broadcast counsel for ABC News clients on libel, newsgathering, intellectual property, and FCC regulatory issues since 2003. Show notes: Transcript www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twi...
Feb 11, 2021•50 min
Last summer, Columbia University Professor John McWhorter wrote that he was receiving missives almost daily "from professors living in constant fear for their career because their opinions" are incompatible with campus orthodoxies. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we catch up with McWhorter to discuss how the culture has changed (or not) since The Atlantic published his article, "Academics Are Really, Really Worried About Their Freedom." McWhorter is a member of FIRE'...
Jan 28, 2021•46 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by senior editor at The Atlantic Kate Julian and FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff to discuss rising rates of childhood depression, anxiety, and suicide. How might these trends be connected to the way we parent our kids — and what do they mean for our wider society and for campus free speech? Kate is the author of the 2020 Atlantic cover story, " What Happened To American Childhood? ," and this conversation is part of...
Jan 14, 2021•58 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Reason Magazine Senior Editor Robby Soave and FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff to discuss the Washington, DC Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021 and the effect it has had — and will have — on free speech, particularly speech on the internet. Robby is the author of the forthcoming book "Tech Panic." www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.faceb...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 1 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , host Nico Perrino is joined by the editor of NationalReview.com, Charles C.W. Cooke , to discuss free speech philosophy, Christopher Hitchens, the October murder of a school teacher in France, and recent attacks on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Show notes: Transcript "Hate Speech and the Limits of Free Expression," a Kenyon College panel (video) "What 'Snowflakes' Get Right About Free Speech" by Ulrich Baer Christopher...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 6 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , host Nico Perrino is joined by Richard Ovenden to discuss his new book, "Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge." Ovenden is the Director of the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Balliol College. In 2019, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Show notes: Transcript www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Face...
Dec 01, 2020•49 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by FIRE's Robert Shibley and Adam Goldstein to discuss recent cases of censorship — and a case of racial segregation — on campus. Show notes: Teaching history not permitted: St. John's bulldozes academic freedom, punishes professor for posing question about 'Columbian Exchange' Portland's Lewis & Clark College mandates racial segregation in orientation programming Dear University of North Texas: The 'Heckler's veto' i...
Nov 13, 2020•55 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Senior Circuit Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg for a masterclass on the history of the U.S. Constitution. Judge Ginsburg was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1986 and served as that court's Chief Judge from 2001-2008. He is also a Professor of Law at George Mason University and the host of the new PBS television series about the U.S. Constitution, "A More or Less Perfect Union, ...
Oct 29, 2020•45 min
Since 1980, the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards have recognized those who go above and beyond to protect and enhance First Amendment rights. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Christie Hefner, who founded and chairs the awards, to discuss the awards' origins and this year's awardees in the categories of law, book publishing, journalism, arts & entertainment, education, and lifetime achievement. From 1988 to 2008, Christie Hefner — daughter of ...
Oct 15, 2020•41 min
Watch-along as Co-Director Nico Perrino narrates the new documentary film about the life and career of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser, " Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story ." Show notes: MightyIra.com Watch Mighty Ira in virtual cinema through Angelika Film Center www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 42 min
Former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser discusses the new film about his life and career, " Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story ."The film, now in " virtual cinema ," makes the case for robust free speech protections amidst the "tough" cases, including the 1978 Skokie case and Charlottesville. Along the way, viewers will also learn about Glasser's growing up in Brooklyn, his friendship with William F. Buckley Jr., his path to the ACLU, which led through Senator Bobby Kennedy's office, and mor...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , FIRE Senior Research Fellow Sean Stevens joins us to discuss the "2020 College Free Speech Rankings: What's the Climate for Free Speech on America's College Campuses?" The rankings are based on the largest free speech survey of college students ever performed, which collected the views of 20,000 students. We discuss the best and worst colleges for free speech and other interesting data points from the survey: For example, 31% of studen...
Oct 01, 2020•50 min
He is most widely known for his role as lead attorney in what's simply become known as "the Skokie case." But David Goldberger's storied legal career goes far beyond his representation of neo-Nazis who wanted to rally in a village where a large number of Holocaust survivors lived. On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by Goldberger to discuss his half century of practice in First Amendment law — including his four (successful) trips to the U.S. Supreme Court....
Sep 17, 2020•55 min
On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast , we are joined by FIRE's Robert Shibley and Samantha Harris to discuss a whirlwind summer: FIRE has fielded a record number of requests for help, and this week the Department of Education's much-anticipated new Title IX regulations go into effect. There's also "cancel culture." Show notes: FIRE's recent cases "Law alone can't protect free speech" by Greg Lukianoff and Adam Goldstein "In memoriam: Professor Mike Adams, 1964-2020" by Robe...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Princeton Professor Peter Singer has been called "the world's most influential living philosopher." But he may be as controversial as he is influential. It's perhaps fitting then that he is a founding editor of a new academic publication called the Journal of Controversial Ideas . The journal claims to be the world's "first open access, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal specifically created to promote free inquiry on controversial topics." On today's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech...
Aug 05, 2020•44 min
On today's episode of So to Speak , we are joined by PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel to discuss campus censorship, cancel culture, how different generations think about free speech, the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in 2015, and more. Nossel is the author of the forthcoming book, " Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All. " Show notes: Transcript Bari Weiss' resignation letter ; Andrew Sullivan's "farewell letter" for New York magazine So to Speak podcast: Debating "Is there a campus free speech ...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 6 min
As protests against racial injustice continue across America, colleges and universities are increasingly speaking out in support of the protests. What's more, some are also taking action to investigate or punish faculty critical of the protesters' perceived aims. What does this mean for academic freedom and freedom of speech? And does this signal a shift away from the idea, best exemplified by the University of Chicago's Kalven Report , that there should be a "heavy presumption against the unive...
Jul 08, 2020•55 min
