Freedom of speech has been a *bit* of a hot topic lately. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll just throw a few examples here, and here, and here, and here.)
So here’s a little piece of insider info for you: NPR journalists aren’t supposed to put political signs in our yards or bumper stickers on our cars. As part of our ethical guidelines, we’re advised to refrain from engaging in activities or roles that might challenge our “reputation as rigorous and impartial pursuers of truth” — and that includes everything from lawn signs to making political donations. (It’s why I keep my Eugene Debs poster in my kitchen.) (JK!) And OK, this information isn’t actually very insider-y at all…it’s all accessible to the public through our Ethics Handbook, published online.
Many of the people I talk to find these guidelines scandalous. ‘How can that be?’ they wonder. ‘Isn’t that infringing on your freedom of speech?’
Turns out, not really.
Jackie Lay/NPR
“I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about freedom of speech in society, generally,” says Samantha Barbas. She’s a legal historian and a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law. She told me that people think of free speech as this broad, sweeping right that protects people’s ability to say whatever they want. “So some will say, ‘Well, my employer fired me because of a statement I made, or a social media post they didn't like. Aren't my First Amendment rights being violated?’ And the answer is, ‘No.’” In fact, Barbas says, the First Amendment is fairly limited; it gives people the right to say what they want — in particular, to criticize the government or speak out on political issues — without being punished by the government. But the first amendment doesn’t apply to the actions of private citizens or corporations.
Fara Dabhoiwala is the author of What Is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea. He says that “free speech” is a simple slogan that can actually obscure a lot of complex power dynamics. In practice, he says, the idea of free speech is “always about certain voices being heard more loudly than others, and about the silencing of some in order to amplify others.” That’s been the case throughout history, he told me — and it’s still the case today.
Over the past few months, I’ve had many, many questions about how freedom of speech works, who it tends to protect and benefit, and why both Republicans and Democrats often depict themselves as the champions of free speech. So this week, I reported an episode of the podcast getting deep into all of those questions. If you’re as fascinated by the topic as I am, give it a listen.
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OK, now I need to know: What does the phrase "free speech" mean to you? And what are your thoughts about the state of free speech in the U.S. right now? Around the world? As always, you can email us at CodeSwitch@npr.org with all your hottest takes. (But remember, just because you can say something, doesn't mean you always should.)
Yours in pushing boundaries,
-Leah Donnella, senior editor
Written by Leah Donnella and editedby Dalia Mortada
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