About Us
We are the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan nonprofit that defends free speech rights for all Americans.
We believe the ability to speak your mind, question authority, and listen to opposing views is not just a basic right but the cornerstone of a free society.
From breaking news analysis and legal battles to cultural trends, this is where we go beyond the headlines — taking you into the fight to defend the First Amendment and bringing you the stories that shape free speech in America.
Whether you’re a die-hard free speech advocate, a curious skeptic, or someone who just wants to understand the stakes, this is your home for smart, principled, and fearless writing.
Subscribe now to join the fight — and the conversation. By becoming a paid subscriber, you also become a FIRE Member. All proceeds go to FIRE.
David Volodzko, editor in chief, is the author of the newsletter The Radicalist, a former Seattle Times board member, and national editor for the New York Times sister paper in South Korea. David spent roughly 20 years in Asia as a journalist and professor of logic. His writing has been published in The Free Press, New York Magazine, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic. He enjoys philosophy, chess, and reading to his daughter.
Sarah McLaughlin, international editor, is a scholar of global censorship and the author of the FIRE newsletter Free Speech Dispatch as well as the book Authoritarians in the Academy. Her writing has been published in Foreign Policy, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, MSNBC, Times Higher Education, and The Los Angeles Times. She enjoys boxing, gardening, and cooking.
John Coleman, tech editor, is former counsel for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on constitutional issues, including First Amendment freedoms. He also worked in the legal departments of two federal agencies before working as a senior policy advisor for the governor of South Dakota.
Aaron Terr, law editor, is a former judicial clerk and staff attorney at the Superior Court of Pennsylvania as well as a former volunteer for the ACLU of Pennsylvania. His work has been published in UnHerd, Minnesota Star Tribune, Bloomberg, and Spiked. He enjoys playing piano, hiking, and racket sports.
Adam Goldstein, media editor, is a former attorney with the Student Press Law Center, where he co-authored their legal textbook Law of the Student Press. Adam is a former instructor of student media law at Michigan State’s graduate school of education and a former First Amendment writer for HuffPost. He enjoys video games and yarncraft.
