
Free to Speak is the New Zealand podcast that goes beyond headlines to explore the principles behind our most contentious debates.Produced by the New Zealand Free Speech Union, it examines freedom of expression and why it matters to a free and democratic society.Expect interviews with guests from New Zealand and around the world, plus deep dives with our Council into the cases and policy work shap... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 200 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PhilosophyPoliticsSociety & CultureNews | |||

Elliot Ikilei, former New Conservative leader, key figure in Hobson's Pledge, and now New Zealand First's 2026 candidate for Takanini, joins Dane Giraud for a conversation that moves from common ground to open clash. The two grew up streets apart in ... more
Erica Stanford says a VPN ban was never on the table. Barrister and Free Speech Union Council Member Douglas Brown isn't convinced. Douglas joins host Dane Giraud for a freewheeling episode on three stories that end in the same place: someone else de... more
New Zealand banned it. So did France, Australia and South Africa, and every American publisher who saw the manuscript in 1954 turned it down. Brian Boyd, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Auckland and the world's leadin... more
This winter, Ani O'Brien is taking the Good Faith Yarns Tour around the country: honest, good faith conversations with locals in towns and cities across New Zealand, on the topics we usually just shout about.
She sits down with Dane Giraud to walk ... more
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If I could make one suggestion before you listen. Take 5 minutes to google the Free Speech Union, or Free Speech Alliance, The NZ Initiative, UK or Australia - add Tax Payers' Union to your search and then see if you're still interested in listening to anything these people have to say. If anything, it helps you put things into perspective.
A bunch of right wing twats.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #124 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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This show consistently explores freedom of expression through a policy and legal lens, frequently featuring guests who are policymakers, lawyers, academics, journalists, and activists focused on free speech, online harms, and media regulation. Episodes cover recent regulatory debates (such as online safety, anti-hate measures, and misconceptions around moderation), high-profile policy proposals in New Zealand and internationally, the ethics of journalism and media neutrality, and practical implications for individuals and minority communities. A notable pattern is rigorous, often controversial, dialogue that weighs civil liberties against safeguarding against harm, with practical takes on how laws and institutions should handle digital disc... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Free To Speak:
1. The spiked podcast
2. The Brendan O'Neill Show
3. Last Orders - a spiked podcast
4. The Current Thing
5. heretics. | andrew gold
Free To Speak launched 7 years ago and published 200 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Free To Speak include:
1. Ani O'Brien
2. Laura McClure
3. Ben Jones
4. Corina Shields
5. Bob McCoskrie
6. Michael Johnston
7. Pulotu Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'I
8. Peter Boghossian
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