Episode Description
Independent Times is the source for independent voters' no-spin news and analysis. Welcome to the first podcast built for America’s largest voting bloc: 43% of voters now identify as independent, outpacing both Democrats and Republicans.
The Founding Fathers established the free press as the "Fourth Estate," a vital check on government power. Today, with only 16% of Americans subscribing to a newspaper and one to two papers closing weekly, that pillar is crumbling.
Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo uncover what's at stake and how independents can help save this essential safeguard of democracy.
We unpack:
- The Core Fight: From Thomas Jefferson's scandal to Nixon's Watergate, why the battle between politicians and the press is constant.
- The Laws That Bind: Key historical laws, the Sedition Act, the Espionage Act, and modern challenges like Florida's weakened protections that make investigative reporting harder.
- Journalism's Shield: The landmark Supreme Court cases of NYT v. United States, The Pentagon Papers, NYT v. Sullivan "Actual Malice" standard, and why they are under threat.
- The Cost of Truth: The financial and legal risks facing journalists and how the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 offers limited defense.
- Independent Hero of the Week: The American Journalism Project (AJP), which invests in nonprofit news organizations to sustain local news.
Timestamps:
00:00 | Title Sequence
00:45 | Clip: “JFK on the Vital Role of a Free Press”
01:20 | The free press as the "fourth estate" and its current struggle.
03:26 | The Partisan Press: Jefferson/Sally Hemings scandal (1802)
03:59 | The eternal love-hate relationship between politicians and the press.
06:34 | Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Watergate investigation.
12:21 | Florida and Texas are weakening protections for journalists
14:56 | Historical Laws Limiting the Press: Sedition Act, Espionage Act
16:05 | Julian Assange and the Espionage Act Danger
20:12 | Privacy Protection Act of 1980 to shield work product
23:49 | New York Times v. United States (1971)
26:02 | New York Times v. Sullivan – The “Actual Malice” Shield (1964)
28:41 | Donald Trump calls for "opening up" libel law protections
30:07 | Independent Hero of the Week: The American Journalism Project
32:13 | Final thoughts, next week's topic, and call to action.
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️ Independent Times – Season 1
Independent Times is the source for independent voters' news and analysis.