Supporting free speech is easy if the speech is something you agree with. But it’s often hard to not be hypocritical about it if the speech in question is something you disagree with. Renowned free speech advocate Tony Brasunas believes that to truly advocate free speech, we need to support it in principle. And that means giving space to ideas that we may not agree with, even those that we perceive can be harmful to society in some way, because the alternative is more insidious. Tony solidified his views on this issue following a personal experience of censorship in 2016. Since then, he has been an outspoken critic of media gatekeeping and censorship and a staunch advocate for free speech, alternative media, and media consciousness. In this conversation, Tony talks about the institutional impediments to constitutional free speech and shares some key points from his upcoming book, Red, White & Blind.

About Guest:

Tony Brasunas was censored by Huffington Post in 2016 for covering the Democratic Primary from the supposed “wrong perspective”. His writings have nevertheless been published online, in newspapers and magazines, and in both corporate and independent media. He has just completed his second book, Red, White & Blind which offers unique insights into how we can take our blinders off and open our minds. Tony lives in Sebastopol, California, with his wife, son, and two dozen apple trees.

Guest Links:

https://tonybrasunas.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybrasunas

https://twitter.com/tonybrasunas?lang=en

Show Notes: (raw audio)

02:22 Why Tony was censored by the Huffington Post

08:55 We’re living in a state of deception

11:48 We need a balanced media diet

17:18 How social media and tech giants worsen the situation

25:58 The most sophisticated propaganda machine         

30:01 Supporting free speech on principle

35:55 Why social media censorship is a violation of constitutional free speech

39:39 Shadow banning and the Streisand Effect

43:18 It’s going to get worse before it gets better

47:22 Media consciousness is a path, not a state

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