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Free Speech Unmuted

Free Speech Unmuted

By: Hoover Institution
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 Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Eugene Volokh is one of the country’s foremost experts on the 1st Amendment and legal issues surrounding free speech. Jane Bambauer is a distinguished professor of law and journalism at the University of Florida. On Free Speech Unmuted, Volokh and Bambauer unpack and analyze the current issues and controversies concerning the First Amendment, censorship, the press, social media, and the proverbial town square. They’ll also explain in plain English the often confusing legalese around these issues and explain how the courts and government agencies interpret the Constitution and new laws being written, passed, and decided will affect their everyday lives.© Copyright by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • From Brandenburg to Britain: Rethinking Free Speech in the Digital Era with Eric Heinze | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution

    From Brandenburg to Britain: Rethinking Free Speech in the Digital Era with Eric Heinze | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution
    Oct 6 2025

    Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer speak with Eric Heinze, professor of law and humanities at Queen Mary University of London, about how the digital age has transformed the meaning and limits of free expression. The discussion ranges from Britain’s recent Lucy Connolly case—involving online incitement and hate speech—to the philosophical and legal contrasts between the American Brandenburg standard and the U.K.’s more interventionist approach. Heinze argues that democracies must rethink free speech in an era dominated by opaque, powerful platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where risk, harm, and accountability are far harder to define. They debate whether governments—or tech companies—should bear responsibility for regulating speech online, and what “freedom” really means when algorithms, not citizens, shape public discourse.

    Subscribe for the latest on free speech, censorship, social media, AI, and the evolving role of the First Amendment in today’s proverbial town square.

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    52 mins
  • Kimmel, the FCC, and the Government's Power Over Broadcast Speech | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution

    Kimmel, the FCC, and the Government's Power Over Broadcast Speech | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution
    Sep 23 2025

    Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer are joined by Ashutosh Bhagwat (Professor of Law at UC Davis) as they discuss the FCC’s ability to regulate broadcast speech, directly and indirectly. Jimmy Kimmel, the old Fairness Doctrine, Ted Cruz, affiliate/network relations, and more.

    Recorded on September 22, 2025.

    Subscribe for the latest on free speech, censorship, social media, AI, and the evolving role of the First Amendment in today’s proverbial town square.

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    44 mins
  • A Conversation with FIRE's Greg Lukianoff | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution

    A Conversation with FIRE's Greg Lukianoff | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer | Hoover Institution
    Sep 8 2025

    FIRE is one of the leading free speech advocacy and litigation groups in the country, and Greg is not only its long-time head but also coauthor of several books, including Coddling of the American Mind (with psychologist Jonathan Haidt) and War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail (with law professor and former ACLU President Nadine Strossen). Jane and Eugene talk with Greg about free speech lawsuits, free speech debates, and more.

    Recorded on September 4, 2025.

    Subscribe for the latest on free speech, censorship, social media, AI, and the evolving role of the First Amendment in today’s proverbial town square.

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    46 mins
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