S1 E3: Is The Free Press Still Holding Power Accountable?

The Founding Fathers called the free press the “Fourth Estate,” a vital check on power. Today, with only 16% of Americans subscribing to a newspaper and one to two papers closing every week, that pillar is crumbling. Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo explore the history of press freedom, key Supreme Court protections under threat, and what’s at stake for democracy. We also highlight this week’s Independent Hero, the American Journalism Project, and how Independents can help save local news. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:45) - Clip: “JFK on the Vital Role of a Free Press”(00:01:20) - The free press as the "fourth estate" and its current struggle.(00:03:26) - The Partisan Press: Jefferson/Sally Hemings scandal (1802)(00:03:59) - The eternal love-hate relationship between politicians and the press.(00:06:34) - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Watergate investigation.(00:12:21) - Florida and Texas are weakening protections for journalists(00:14:56) - Historical Laws Limiting the Press: Sedition Act, Espionage Act(00:16:05) - Julian Assange and the Espionage Act Danger(00:20:12) - Privacy Protection Act of 1980 to shield work product(00:23:49) - New York Times v. United States (1971)(00:26:02) - New York Times v. Sullivan – The “Actual Malice” Shield (1964)(00:28:41) - Donald Trump calls for "opening up" libel law protections(00:30:07) - Independent Hero of the Week: The American Journalism Project(00:32:13) - Final thoughts, next week's topic, and call to action.