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Artwork for So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

FIRE
First Amendment
Free Speech
Censorship
Freedom Of Speech
Hate Speech
Social Media
FIRE
Academic Freedom
Trump Administration
Section 230
Cancel Culture
Supreme Court
Private Censorship
Sedition Act Of 1798
Civil Liberties
Mahmoud Khalil
Donald Trump
Obscenity
Defamation
Fighting Words

So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through the law, philosophy, and stories that define your right to free speech. Hosted by FIRE's Nico Perrino. New episodes post every other Thursday.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes277Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPoliticsNews Commentary

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Artwork for So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast

Latest Episodes

Shouting down speakers, UCLA free speech, heckling, AI, doxxing, cancel culture, and more!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:40 Get your tickets to Soapbox now!

06:30 Congratulations to Will on 20 years at FIRE

07:31 How is FIRE responding to sho... more

Editorial note: This conversation was recorded on Friday, April 24, the day before the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Both Nico and Clayton attended the event, where a gunman breached security and opened fire before being apprehended.

No one w... more

We break down the legal case against James Comey over an alleged "true threat" and how far the government can go in prosecuting speech. Plus, we examine renewed FCC pressure on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:57 Does the DOJ ha... more

The early internet opened unprecedented avenues for speech, creativity, and connection without traditional gatekeepers.

But it also raised civil liberties questions: Do our offline freedoms exist online? And if so, how far do they extend?

Today, ... more

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Recent Guests

Clayton Weimers
Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders USA
Reporters Without Borders USA
Episode: Ep. 271: Minecraft, censorship, and threats to press freedom with Clayton Weimers
Cindy Cohn
Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Episode: Ep. 270: The fight for privacy and free speech in the surveillance age
Jordan Taylor
Historian of American history and author of Misinformation Nation, Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America
Historian, author
Episode: Ep. 268: News and misinformation in early America
Mike Masnick
CEO and Founder of Techdirt and the Copia Institute
Techdirt / Copia Institute
Episode: Ep. 267: Social media = cigarettes?
Preston Byrne
Attorney with two decades in international law and emerging technologies, counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms
Attorney; counsel to a coalition of internet publishing platforms
Episode: Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers
Jennifer Huddleston
Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Ep. 265: Anthropic, age verification laws, and press freedom
Mike Godwin
AI and Privacy Expert; former EFF staff counsel; first General Counsel at Wikimedia
Electronic Frontier Foundation; Wikimedia
Episode: Ep. 265: Anthropic, age verification laws, and press freedom
Clark Neily
Senior Vice President for Legal Studies at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Ep. 263: Free speech in Trump 2.0
Timothy Zick
Professor of Government and Citizenship at William & Mary Law School and author of 'Trump 2.0, Executive Power and the First Amendment'
Episode: Ep. 263: Free speech in Trump 2.0

Host

Nico Perrino
Host of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast (uncensored look at free expression through law, philosophy, and stories)

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 250 ratings
  • February 2026 episode review

    This podcast episode went off the rails when you assumed facts not in evidence, namely that Pretti got between ICE and their target. They didn't apprehend anyone that day on that street and were not seeking to apprehend anyone immediately there in that scrum. What they clearly did (the federal agents) was follow one or two guys TO the civilians on the side of the road and, well, I won't assume they attacked for no reason, but you should not be assuming or looking to create an "operation" for him... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    EllaMcC
    United States4 months ago
  • Good

    Good

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jake11144
    United Statesa year ago
  • So excited this made iTunes top ten!

    Nico is a great host and one of the better proponents of free speech. Very conversational style and doesnt over-use the legal jargon.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Celia Rogers
    United States2 years ago
  • Dennis D. Karpf

    Incisive and absence of cant. Free speech can not override free association, free religion, and free conscience and free movement. No doubt words/thought balance is sometimes gray. Law can prevent antisemitic action/behavior. However those circumstance in reality are rare. Speech codes are not the answer. Balance is needed between competing interests that does prevent threats to Jews. Threats and harassment are not speech. However make no mistake Islamist ideology and its red/green allies seek o... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dennis.karpf
    United States2 years ago
  • Produced by FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the law firm and advocacy group fulfilling the role of defending free speech that has been abandoned by the ACLU. You can learn a lot about how governments in the US violate our freedoms and how some are fighting back.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Larryseltzer
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, approachable discussions with strong guests and deep dives into free speech issues.
High-quality interviews with lawyers and scholars, offering useful legal and historical context.
Consistently informative and essential for anyone following First Amendment debates.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#158
Taiwan/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

FIRE Reacts: Comey, Kimmel, ABC & the FCC
Q: At what point does a death threat cross the line from idle protected speech to a genuine threat under established law?
The discussion emphasizes that intent, context, and perceived credibility are crucial; a true threat requires a subjective awareness of the statement's potential to be taken as a serious threat, with a higher bar when involving high-profile targets like a president.
FIRE Reacts: Comey, Kimmel, ABC & the FCC
Q: Does bringing this kind of weak charge just mean the process is the punishment, whether the government wins or not?
Yes, the panel suggests that prosecuting a weak charge serves to punish the target, create a chilling effect, and drain resources, even if the case may be dismissed later.
FIRE Reacts: Comey, Kimmel, ABC & the FCC
Q: The threat language... Does the Department of Justice have a colorable case for indicting former FBI Director James Comey?
The panel argues that the indictment fails the First Amendment standard for true threats and that the government's interpretation of the term '86' is overly charitable to the government's theory; the line between protected speech and a true threat is narrowly drawn, and the challenged post does not meet that standard.
Ep. 268: News and misinformation in early America
Q: What was the original intent or meaning behind the First Amendment's speech and press clauses, based on the founders' intentions and documentary evidence?
The hosts and guest discuss that there isn't a single documented original intent; founders drew on English and European precedents, and meaning evolved in real time as the new republic faced practical governance challenges, with ongoing debates about how expansive free press should be.
Ep. 266: How foreign censors target American speakers
Q: What is Granite, and why was it developed?
Granite is a proposed US law (an acronym for guaranteeing rights against novel international tyranny and extortion) with a shield to block foreign censorship orders and a sword that creates a private right of action against foreign governments that threaten US companies, aiming to deter extraterritorial enforcement.

Audience Metrics

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1. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
2. The Reason Roundtable
3. The Fifth Column
4. Conversations with Coleman
5. Advisory Opinions

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So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast launched 10 years ago and published 277 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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What guests have appeared on So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast?

Recent guests on So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast include:

1. Clayton Weimers
2. Cindy Cohn
3. Jordan Taylor
4. Mike Masnick
5. Preston Byrne
6. Jennifer Huddleston
7. Mike Godwin
8. Clark Neily

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