This show originally aired August 9, 2021
In her new book, Suzanne Nossel delves into the nation's culture wars over the right to free speech and argues that the way forward as a society is to ensure an open market of ideas and protect all speech — even that which we disagree with.
Does free speech play an essential role in promoting democracy and human rights? If speech isn't free, who controls it? What are the potential implications of reining in free speech and expression?
What can be done to secure freedom of expression in a "diverse, digitalized, and divided culture"? How can we combat the propagation of disinformation "without running roughshod over values of equality"?
Is it possible to protect free speech and mitigate the harmful impacts of hate speech in the real world and online? Is it possible to support free speech and also battle bigotry? Where should we draw the line?
Guest: Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America and author of "Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All"
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*This interview was recorded on Monday, August 9.