logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
21m 31s

Freedom of the Press, Part 1

NHPR
About this episode

The only working-class job enshrined in the Bill of Rights, a free press is essential to the health of the democracy. The citizens deserve to know what’s going on, so the framers made sure that news could be printed and information disseminated. But how does the press actually do that? Are they upholding their end of the bargain? What does the best version of the press and the news look like?

Helping us report this one out are Melissa Wasser, Michael Luo and Erin Coyle.

This episode originally aired in September of 2020.

Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS!

  • CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 
  • To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.
  • Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Up next
Yesterday
Civics lessons from Karen Read's retrial
The team delves into some of the many civics lessons the public got while watching Karen Read’s retrial, which ended with her acquittal on all major charges in June. Topics include the First Amendment, judicial discretion, courtroom tactics, and more. Our expert for this episode ... Show More
50m 30s
Jul 4
Cinematic Civics: Independence Day
Is there a civics lesson in the 1996 film Independence Day? We think so. Join the Civics 101 team for a conversation about the film, its politics, and what it says about the United States and its place in the world. There's even a fire-jumping dog! WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DU ... Show More
50m 30s
Jun 30
What does the Senate Parliamentarian do?
The Senate Parliamentarian is many things. A nonpartisan referee, an appointed official, and at some times one of the most powerful people in our government. This week, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough found several provisions in the currently debated budget appropriat ... Show More
26m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
The Press Gallery
What is the press gallery? Hundreds of journalists across different media organisations are now able to report from the Houses of Parliament. We take you back to 1738 where journalists had to fight to be able to report on what went on in the House of Commons with News UK archivis ... Show More
55m 2s
Jul 2023
America's Top Female Journalists Discuss Their Craft
The Daily Show may be fake news, but it has hosted plenty of real news greats, including Christiane Amanpour, Soledad O’Brien, and Dorothy Butler Gilliam. These journalists discuss standing up for the truth, the state of democracy, what it's like to be a Black reporter in America ... Show More
30m 27s
Mar 2023
What does a ‘free press’ really mean? - with Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia
Print is dying. Since the arrival of the internet and fast-paced, free information at the tap of the finger, the news outlets that tell us what’s what have been scrambling to find their footing. Some have been haemorrhaging money for decades, others have become richer than ever. ... Show More
15m 57s
Jan 2023
The Prince and the Press
In the last few years, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have traded their broken relationship with the UK press system for the celebrity industrial complex of the US. This week on The Assignment, Audie turns to two insiders from each media ecosystem to discuss how the Duke and Duch ... Show More
22m 49s
Dec 2022
Journalism on the Ropes
The debate among journalists over how to regain the public’s trust is increasingly centered around the idea of objectivity. In this episode, Audie turns the spotlight on herself and the media. She invites journalists to help her reckon with the idea of objectivity: what it is? Do ... Show More
28m 17s
Nov 2023
La presse se questionne sur la démocratie à travers le monde
Tous les jours dans la matinale d’Europe 1, Olivier de Lagarde scrute et analyse la presse du jour. Aujourd’hui, la presse se questionne sur la démocratie à travers le monde. 
5m 38s
Mar 2021
Sunshine Week 2021: Meet three journalists who are shining a light on local and federal government
Brian Stelter speaks with Los Angeles Times DC bureau chief Kimbriell Kelly, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editor George Stanley, and Katie Townsend, legal director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The trio of Freedom of Information experts preview Sunshine Week, ... Show More
35m 36s
May 2024
The media and the UK election: Can Fleet Street still win it?
Will the Sun win it? After Rishi Sunak called a shock general election, host Aggie Chambre set out to discover just how much influence newspapers will have in this campaign. Former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock tells her what it was like being attacked in the press in the run up to ... Show More
42m 42s
Jan 2021
How Trumpism Led To An Ideological War Over Voice Of America
In its very first broadcast, the U.S.-government-run service called Voice of America pledged honesty. "The news may be good and it may be bad. We shall tell you the truth." The idea was to model a free press, especially for audiences in places that might not have one. Places wher ... Show More
14m 58s