So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 135 Are education schools secretly driving campus censorship? May 06, 2021

Show notes

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 Arthur Levine
Yale University: Protesters at Yale Threaten Free Speech, Demand Apologies and Resignations from Faculty Members Over Halloween Email
"Please Report to Your Resident Assistant to Discuss Your Sexual Identity—It's Mandatory! Thought Reform at the University of Delaware" by Adam Kissel
"Hard Words: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read" by Emily Hanford
"At a Loss for Words: How a Flawed Idea is Teaching Millions of Kids to be Poor Readers" by Emily Hanford
"Look Who's Talking About Educational Equity" by Lyell Asher
E.D Hirsch's Core Knowledge curriculum
"Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom" by Lisa Delpit
"Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life" by Derald Wing Sue et al.

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Ep. 134 A cheerleader's free speech case lands at the Supreme Court Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

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's episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we are joined by LoMonte, who also leads the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, and FIRE Program Officer Lindsie Rank to discuss the Mahanoy case, which could answer some important lingering questions about student speech rights off-campus and on social media.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case on Wednesday, April 28. A decision is expected this summer.

Show notes:

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[FIXED] Ep. 133 University of Wisconsin Professor Donald Downs Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

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 So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we are joined by Professor Downs to discuss his journey from somewhat of a free speech skeptic to one of its most fervent defenders.

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Ep. 132 Academic Freedom Alliance with Keith Whittington Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

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

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Ep. 131 'Incitement' with David L. Hudson Jr. Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

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 Fellow David L. Hudson Jr. He is an Assistant Professor of Law at Belmont University and the Justice Robert H. Jackson Legal Fellow at FIRE.

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Ep. 130 Stonewalling by the University of California Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

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 records is important for democracy and for student journalists to fulfill their watchdog role.

Show notes:

Transcript

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Ep. 129 'The Fight for Free Speech' with Ian Rosenberg Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

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

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Ep. 128 John McWhorter says academics are really, really worried Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

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's Board of Directors and the host of the popular Lexicon Valley podcast.

Show notes:

Transcript

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Ep. 127 What happened to American childhood? with Kate Julian and Greg Lukianoff Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

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 Greg's "Catching up with Coddling" blog series, in which he reviews recent developments related to the themes of his co-authored 2018 book "The Coddling of the American Mind."

Show notes:

Transcript
"Catching up with Coddling part seven: The #MustListen Kate Julian interview, 'Runaway Homophily,' and the second 'Coddling' Caveat" by Greg Lukianoff, Adam Goldstein, and Ryne Weiss
"What Happened To American Childhood" by Kate Julian
"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
"Catching up with Coddling" blog series
"Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex" by Kate Julian
Greg's book recommendation: "Love, Money, and Parenting: How Economics Explains the Way We Raise Our Kids" by Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti

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Ep. 126 Free speech after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

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.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org

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