FIRE launches new podcast reading series, ‘Free Speech Out Loud’

Reading might be fundamental, but here at FIRE, we’ve found listening is equally as important.

That’s why FIRE is launching “Free Speech Out Loud,” a new podcast reading series dedicated to increasing accessibility to free speech jurisprudence and related materials. Free Speech Out Loud will be releasing audio recordings of famous First Amendment court opinions and other primary source documents that serve as the backbone of the free speech rights we enjoy today. 

As FIRE produces recordings, they will be released first as podcast episodes. Then, after each “season” of content is complete, we’ll bundle the recordings together and release them as free audiobooks.

The first batch of recordings will be centered around the cases and documents that most inform FIRE’s work protecting student speech. In the first episode, hear how the Supreme Court handled the censorship of “vulgar” and “lewd” student speech in the opinion for Bethel School District v. Fraser. 

Look out for more recordings showing how the Court handled topics such as student journalism censorship (Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier) and student protests (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District and Morse v. Frederick). Additionally, we’ll be recording important documents such as The University of Chicago’s 1967 Kalven Report.  

We hope that these recordings will be useful for lawyers looking to refresh their knowledge, law students on the go, and other individuals looking to educate themselves using an audio medium.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to stay up to date with the latest recordings and be on the lookout for “Free Speech Out Loud” on all other podcast apps!