The Future of Freedom
Protecting Democracy Amid Rising Authoritarianism

From the very beginning, Donald Trump’s second term has featured exhaustive attempts to roll back basic rights, gut agencies to eliminate checks on his power, undermine an independent press and demonize any groups — including universities, activists, law firms, public-health experts and artists — that refuse to capitulate.
Meanwhile, the billionaires controlling our information environments are leveraging their power and platforms to control and contort public discourse, cozying up to the president while growing their fortunes.
These efforts chip away at our sense of community and our longstanding democratic norms, even as the White House pretends that it’s simply defending our democracy and national security. This kind of manipulation of the public narrative is a common tactic that authoritarians leverage.
We cannot meet autocracy with passivity or apathy. Free Press convenes community activists, issue experts, lawmakers and members of the media to offer public education about the stakes of this moment — and how to defend our collective freedom.
Sign up for alerts for future programming on topics such as free speech, protest rights, countering government surveillance, and how to organize to protect independent media.
Connect with us on Instagram to see our biweekly live discussions on the future of freedom.
Webinars & Videos
- “Free Speech in the Age of Retaliation”
- “The Public Interest in Free Speech: A Conversation with FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez”
- “Defeating Authoritarianism,” Featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa
- Free Press Action Co-CEO Craig Aaron Testifies in a House Hearing on “The Censorship-Industrial Complex”
- “Into the Breach: Exposing Musk’s Illegal Assault on the Privacy Rights of All Americans”
Resources
Blogs
Trump’s Attack on Protesters in Los Angeles Show Need to Protect Free Speech, June 10, 2025
FCC Commissioner Gomez Raises Alarm about Free-Speech Crisis, June 2, 2025
- How to Defeat Authoritarianism in the United States, March 5, 2025
In the News
- Anti-Trump Protests Cap a Week of Free-Speech Stress Tests Across America, CNN, June 14, 2025
- Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests, The New York Times, June 10, 2025
Journalists Come Under Fire Covering L.A. Protests, The Washington Post, June 9, 2025
- Journalists and Community Leaders Gather to Tackle Media Censorship, CALO News, June 9, 2025
- Can Public Media Survive Trump? The New Yorker, June 6, 2025
For press inquiries, please contact Timothy Karr at 201-533-8838, or reach out to him at tkarr@freepress.net.