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.
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.
Tyler MacQueen, culture editor, is the author of the newsletter Cinemantics and a documentary writer and producer who represented FIRE in making “Bodies Upon The Gears,” directed by Oscar-winner Paul Wagner. He directed actor John Cleese in “Silly Walks and Free Speech Talks” and his writing has been published in The Dispatch and Law and Liberty. He is a proud son of the Buckeye State.
Newsletters
The Eternally Radical Idea, named after freedom of speech, is a blog about free speech and censorship by FIRE CEO and President Greg Lukianoff. Start reading
The Free Speech Dispatch covers new and continuing censorship trends and challenges around the world, by FIRE’s senior scholar of global expression Sarah McLaughlin. Start reading
First Amendment News is a weekly blog and newsletter about free expression issues by retired law professor Ronald K.L. Collins. Start reading
Podcasts
So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through the law, philosophy, and stories that define your right to free speech. Hosted by FIRE’s Nico Perrino. All Episodes
Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech takes listeners from the trial of Socrates to the Great Firewall, with host Jacob Mchangama explaining why have kings and governments have killed and imprisoned people to shut them up, and why countless people risked such fates to speak their minds. All Episodes
Free Speech Out Loud is a podcast devoted to supplying you with audio versions of prominent First Amendment cases. All Episodes
