Center for the study of Politics and Governance, Humphrey School of Public Affairs Presents
Do the First Amendment’s broad protections of free speech still encourage free-ranging, and at times raucous, debate? Or are minority viewpoints muffled by restrictions on expression that some may consider offensive? The long-running controversy over what constitutes “harmful" speech has encompassed everything from anti-war protests to pornography. Today, university campuses have taken center stage as initiatives such as “safe spaces,” "trigger warnings," and campus codes mandating civility and prohibiting racial and ethnic harassment raise serious questions about academic freedom for students and faculty alike. Guy Benson joins Jane Kirtley for a conversation about free speech and the state of the First Amendment.
Guy Benson is a contributor for Fox News, political editor of Townhall.com, conservative talk radio personality and author of End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).
Jane Kirtley is the University of Minnesota's Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law and Director of the Silha Center, as well as an award-winning expert on the First Amendment.
Humphrey Forum, Humphrey School of Public Affairs