So To Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

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’ is not a good thing University of Northern Iowa administration must correct its student government’s refusal to recognize ‘hate group’ Students for Life www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

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, A Personal Exploration by Judge Douglas Ginsburg.” Show notes: Transcript “A More or Less Perfect Union” is available via Amazon (Prime), the Free to Choose Network, and PBS. Judge Ginsburg recommended book: From Parchment to Power: How James Madison Used the Bill of Rights to Save the Constitution Judge Ginsburg in conversation with America’s founding fathers (video) New FIRE documentary, “Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story,” now streaming via Amazon (Prime), iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube Movies. www.sotosp

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 Playboy founder Hugh Hefner — was Chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, making her the longest-serving female CEO of a U.S. public company. For three years, she appeared on Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women” list. Show notes: Attend: 2020 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards, Oct. 19 6 p.m. ET 2020 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment awardees MightyIra.com (Ira Glasser documentary) “Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America” (So to Speak podcast) Immigration Nation documentary www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us

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: [email protected]

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 more.A May 2017 So to Speak interview with Glasser was the inspiration for the Mighty Ira documentary, and this interview is a reflection on some of what has happened since. Show notes: Transcript MightyIra.com Watch Mighty Ira in virtual cinema through Angelika Film Center “Traveling Hopefully,” 1981 documentary about ACLU Founder Roger Baldwin “Inherit the Wind,” 1960 film about ACLU “Scopes monkey trial” case Watch-along episode as Co-Director Nico Perrino narrates Mighty Ira www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twi

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 students don’t believe President Donald Trump should be allowed on campus to share his views. And 22% said the same of former Vice President Joe Biden. Show notes: Explore the rankings Read the report View the press release www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

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. Show notes: Transcript Anew FIRE documentary film, “Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story” (featuring David Goldberger) “The Skokie case: How I came to represent the free speech rights of Nazis” by David Goldberger Cutter v. Wilkinson (2005) McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission (1995) Capitol Square Review and Advisory Bd v. Pinette (1995) www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: sotospeak@thefi

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 Robert Shibley “What do you think of cancel culture?” by Nick Cave www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

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 Podcast, we are joined by Professor Singer to discuss the journal, academic freedom, and his own personal brushes with controversy. A transcript of this episode can be found at this link. www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

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 crisis?” with Andrew Sullivan, Jonathan Haidt, Suzanne Nossel, Jeffrey Sachs, & Kmele Foster “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure” by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt Harper’s: “A letter on justice and open debate” “Does apologizing work? An empirical test of the conventional wisdom” by Richard Hanania “Why we’re honoring Charlie Hebdo” by Andrew Solomon and Suzanne Nossel www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com

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 university taking collective action or expressing opinions on the political and social issues of the day?” To discuss, we are joined by Glenn Loury, Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences at Brown University, who objected to a letter about the protests sent by Brown’s senior administrators. Show notes: Transcript Letter from from Brown’s senior leaders: Confronting racial injustice” “I must object” by Glenn C. Loury “CU Boulder professor accused of racist, sexist social media posts” “Miller ‘70 P’02: Fascis

This episode is a rebroadcast from March 2017.   “If you spend five minutes with your worst enemy, you will find you have something in common,” said Daryl Davis. “If you spend 10 minutes, you’ll find you even have more in common. And the more you find that you have in common and build upon those things, the less the things that you have in contrast will begin to matter, like skin color.”   Since the early 90s, Davis, a black man, has taken up the curious pastime of befriending members of the Ku Klux Klan. The result? He has dozens of Klan robes at his home that were given to him by former Klan members who shed their racist beliefs after meeting him.   On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we explore how open dialogue and debate have shown Davis a path toward a more tolerant future.   www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

During the summer of 2017, a fierce dispute over the removal of Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Va. captured national attention.  The events that summer led to racial animosity and heated debate over our nation’s history and the First Amendment, and threw one historic city into turmoil, ultimately culminating in death and tragedy during the weekend of Aug. 11. On today’s episode of So to Speak, we are joined by Rodney Smolla to reflect on what happened in Charlottesville. Smolla is Dean and Professor of Law at the Delaware Law School of Widener University. He is also the author of a new book, “Confessions of a Free Speech Lawyer: Charlottesville and the Politics of Hate.” Editor’s note: This podcast was recorded on Wednesday, May 20, prior to the protests that began last week surrounding policing and race in America. Had these events taken place before our recording, they almost certainly would have been addressed, as there are many dots to connect between Charlottesville and our current moment, es

A new FIRE report finds that 77% of public colleges and universities use a blacklist of secret words to censor comments on their Facebook pages. What’s more, 87% of them block particular users on Facebook or Twitter. How do these blacklists work? How were they discovered? And do they violate the First Amendment?  On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino is joined by the director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, Adam Steinbaugh. He is the author of “No Comment: Public Universities’ Social Media Use and the First Amendment.” Show notes: Knight Institute v. Trump PETA v. Texas A&M www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

On Wednesday, the Department of Education published its long-awaited new Title IX regulations. Over the years — and with the federal government’s prodding — Title IX has been twisted and used to justify censorship and the denial of core due process rights for those accused of sexual misconduct on America’s college campus. The new regulations will better protect certain free speech and due process rights long denied to students. On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino is joined by FIRE Executive Director Robert Shibley and FIRE Senior Fellow Samantha Harris for a deep-dive analysis of the new regulations and the history of Title IX abuse on campus. Show notes: Podcast transcript New Title IX regulations text FIRE press release on new Title IX regulations Information on the April 4, 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter List of lawsuits filed since 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter Campus Due Process Litigation Tracker “Twisting Title IX” by Robert Shibley www.sotospeakpodcast.c

With much of the country under stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19, what do these orders mean for the five freedoms of the First Amendment? On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino and constitutional law expert Josh Blackman will break it all down. Blackman is a professor of law at the South Texas College of Law in Houston and the author of three books, including his recently co-authored book with Professor Randy E. Barnett, “An Introduction to Constitutional Law: 100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know.” Show notes: Podcast transcript John Adams’ second annual address to Congress, December 8, 1798 “The Right to Protest During the Pandemic,” National Coalition Against Censorship coalition statement “Are Quarantine Orders Constitutional?,” by Mark Miller, Pacific Legal Foundation “If Liquor Stores Are Essential, Why Isn’t Church?,” by Michael W. McConnell and Max Raskin First Amendment News 251: Public health and the First Amendment in the age of COVID-19 www.so

For authoritarian leaders across the globe, the coronavirus emergency presents an opportunity to silence critics and consolidate power. On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino is joined by international free expression experts Jacob Mchangama and Sarah McLaughlin to discuss how countries like Turkey, Hungary, Egypt, and Thailand are banning “fake news” amidst the pandemic — but, in doing so, are making the crisis worse.  Mchangama is the executive director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focused on human rights and the rule of law. He is also the host and producer of the podcast Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech. McLaughlin is the director of Targeted Advocacy at FIRE.  Show notes: “Coronavirus has started a censorship pandemic” by Jacob Mchangama and Sarah McLaughlin Clear and Present Danger podcast: A conversation with Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management at Facebook Podcast: “The Great Influenza: The story of the deadliest pa

How and why do authoritarian regimes seek to control information? On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino is joined by University of Maryland Associate Professor Cynthia L. Martin to explore how one country, the former Soviet Union, restricted access to information and stifled dissent — and what changed when that regime collapsed in 1991. Show notes: Podcast transcript Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia Cato Institute lecture: Stalin’s Propaganda and Putin’s Information Wars, featuring Princeton University Professor Stephen Kotkin Call for Proposals: 2020 FIRE Faculty Conference www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]

"Coronavirus and the failure of the ‘Marketplace of Ideas’" by Foundation for Individual Rights in Education President & CEO Greg Lukianoff, as read by Susan Kruth. www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]  

On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, host Nico Perrino sits down with FIRE President & CEO Greg Lukianoff to discuss how FIRE is adapting to the coronavirus outbreak. We also explore the ideas behind Greg’s new, widely discussed article, “Coronavirus and the failure of the ‘Marketplace of Ideas’.” Show notes: Transcript Greg’s “The Eternally Radical Idea” blog Abrams v. United States (1919) FIRE’s free speech high school curricula Yale’s “Woodward” report” on freedom of expression www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: [email protected]