How FDR Emasculated the Black Press in World War II
Instead of indulging in politically risky sedition prosecutions of the black press, the government relied on indirect methods of behind-the-scenes manipulation and intimidation.
Journalism
The Best of Reason: Monkey Herpes, Face Eating, and the Pork Chop Gang: The Origins of Florida Man
The growing anti-transparency atmosphere in the state might make the Florida Man extinct.
Mississippi Cops Buried a Missing Man. His Family Only Found Out When NBC News Revealed It.
An NBC investigation revealed how Jackson, Mississippi, police keep burying people in pauper's graves after failing to inform their families about their deaths.
Jeff Kosseff: Why False Speech Deserves First Amendment Protections
The former journalist defends misinformation in the Trump era and explains why so many journalists are against free speech.
You Woodchipped Right Through Reason's $600,000 Webathon Goal!
Still a good 11 hours left to hit our all-time record; do it for our expanding roster of newsletters!
How Reason Helps You Stay Sane During Political Brainworms Season
Turns out subjecting presidential aspirants to libertarian-flavored scrutiny is good for journalism! And sanity.
Monkey Herpes, Face Eating, and the Pork Chop Gang: How Public Records Laws Created the Florida Man
The growing anti-transparency atmosphere in the state might make the Florida Man extinct.
Wow—You People Just Helped Us Blast Through Our Webathon Goal of $400,000!
Your support for Free Minds and Free Markets is nearing record territory.
A Bonus Reason Roundtable Featuring Four 'Florida Men' of Our Own
Plus: The Reason webathon is happening right now. Donate so we can make more fun podcasts like this one!
Who Is—and Isn't—Ready To Change Their Minds About the Gaza Hospital Blast?
The limits of "we just don't believe you" as a news-consuming habit
Media Got the Hospital Story Wrong
Plus: Jim Jordan has no friends, an "antisemitic Burning Man festival" at Penn, Staten Island secession, and more...
Matt Taibbi on the Twitter Files, Julian Assange, and Donald Trump
"After Trump, everybody's tolerance for exploring different points of view kind of dried up," says the star Substack writer.
Cops and Reporters Are Still Hyping the Halloween Threat Posed by Strangers With Cannabis Candy
A 2022 Canadian case involving what looks like a stoned mistake seems to be the closest real-world example of this purported danger.
Will the Government Shutdown Result in 'Hunger for Millions' as Reuters Claims?
When you use incorrect stats to bolster your claims, as Reuters did, all kinds of foolish conclusions follow.
Media Critics Agree: Stop Interviewing the Bad People!
Journalism's in-house critics take a bold stance against attempting journalism, because of Trump.
Ashland Professor Allegedly Ousted for Allowing 'Too Much Investigative Journalism'
After the student paper pressed university officials for interviews, its faculty adviser got into trouble.
Campus Rape Story Was 'Bulletproof' Except for the Hoax, Says Rolling Stone Founder Jann Wenner
With journalistic standards like these...
Ben Smith's One Neat Trick for Going Viral
The Semafor editor and former BuzzFeed News editor in chief on the online media explosion of the 2000s.
The Washington Post Says Democracy Demands Less Freedom of Speech
The paper worries that "social media companies are receding from their role as watchdogs against political misinformation."
Tucker Carlson's Sycophantic Interview With Trump Illustrates the Advantages of Skipping the Debates
It's no mystery why the former president preferred a forum in which his record and positions would face no serious challenge.
A Netflix Drama Reinforces Pernicious Misconceptions About Pain Treatment
Painkiller reflects an indiscriminate anti-opioid bias that has caused needless suffering.
Owner of Kansas Newspaper Dies Amid 'Shock and Grief' After Police Raid
Plus: New Zealand libertarianism, Barbie economics, and more...
Backpage Founder, Alt-Weekly Entrepreneur, and Free Speech Warrior James Larkin Has Died
Larkin, 74, took his own life on Monday, just a little over a week before he was slated to stand trial for his role in running the web-classifieds platform Backpage.
Who Is Protected As a Journalist? Everybody, Suggests Court Ruling.
Journalism is an activity shielded by the First Amendment, not a special class or profession.
Texas A&M's Treatment of Journalism Director Raises Academic Freedom Concerns
Political appointees should have no role in faculty hiring decisions.
Elite Journalists Love Big Brother
Prominent reporters and powerful officials know each other, share attitudes, and trust each other.
Review: Ithaka Chronicles the Fight To Save Julian Assange
"If he goes down, so will journalism," Assange's father John Shipton says in the documentary.
Chris Licht Ouster Shows How Cable News Has Become a Cope
The journalistic crusade against "bothsidesism" is an unsubtle attempt at enforcing political orthodoxy.
Kat Timpf: Make America Funny Again!
The You Can't Joke About That author says that free speech and dark humor can bring a fragmented country together.
Should Libertarians Be Noncombatants in the Pride Wars?
Plus: A listener question considers the pros and cons of the libertarian focus on political processes rather than political results.
The New York Times Thinks Preempting Local Control Is Bad—When Republicans Do It
The paper's editorial board is happy to endorse the centralization of decision making when it supports their liberal policy preferences.
California Lawmakers Want To Make Tech Companies Subsidize News Media
Plus: Debt ceiling deal passes House, Congress wants to childproof the internet, lactation consultant licensing law is unconstitutional, and more...
Jesse Singal: How To Stay Honest While Doing Journalism
The Blocked & Reported cohost talks about cancel culture, activism vs. truth, and why he quit Twitter.
I Worked for Hodding Carter III at a Small-Town Mississippi Newspaper
He didn't pay much, we fought a lot, and he was one of the best bosses I ever had.
Reason Is a Finalist in 9 Categories at the Southern California Journalism Awards
From COVID censorship to sex work and Afghani refugees, Reason's coverage is recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Coverage of Alabama Town's Predatory Fines and Seizures Earns Journalists a Pulitzer
The Brookside Police Department’s shakedown of travelers became a national news story and prompted federal lawsuits.
Judge Dismisses Trump Lawsuit Against The New York Times
Plus: Senate Judiciary Committee considers the EARN IT Act, the FTC has A.I. in its crosshairs, and more...
'Stand Your Ground' Laws Are Back in the News, but It's Not Clear Why
The duty to retreat from public confrontations has nothing to do with the cases cited in recent stories about seemingly unjustified shootings.
What Does Tucker Carlson's Sudden Schism With Fox News Mean?
Plus: Should committed libertarians be opposed to pro-natalist policies?
The Death of BuzzFeed News Was a Facebook Murder-Suicide
Online media companies got exactly what they said they wanted.
Review: Endangered Documentary Exaggerates Threats to U.S. Journalists
The HBO movie muddies important distinctions.
Democrats Threaten Matt Taibbi With Jail Time Over Twitter Files Testimony
Weaponization of the federal government, indeed
The Fox/Dominion Settlement Highlights the Importance of Discovery in Proving 'Actual Malice'
Critics argue that excessively strict pleading standards prevent plaintiffs with meritorious defamation claims from obtaining the evidence they need to support them.
In a $788 Million Defamation Settlement, Fox News Admits That It Spread False Claims About Election Fraud
"The truth matters," says Dominion Voting Systems, and "lies have consequences."
Reporter Detained in Russia Faces Arduous Path to Freedom
Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia last month on espionage charges. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in a penal colony.
Fox News Starts Its Dominion Defamation Trial With Several Strikes Against It
Pretrial rulings recognized the falsity of the election-fraud claims that the outlet aired and rejected three of its defenses.
Massive Leak of Ukraine Intelligence Documents Angers U.S. Allies
Plus: Evan Gershkovich charged with espionage in Russia, the DOJ appeals a Texas judge's abortion ruling, and more...
