Welcome back to Independent Times. 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, along with co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo, uncovers 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.

No spin. No party talking points. Just clear insights to help you vote with confidence.

Independent Hero of the Week: The American Journalism Project (AJP), which invests in nonprofit news organizations to sustain local news.

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Timestamps:

• 00:00 Intro & The Struggling Pillar
• 02:45 The First Amendment's Free Press Clause
• 04:10 The Jefferson/Sally Hemings Scandal (Partisan Press Birth)
• 07:00 Watergate & The Power of Investigative Journalism
• 10:15 Modern Restrictive Laws (Florida, Texas)
• 13:00 Historical Limits: Sedition & Espionage Acts
• 16:30 The Julian Assange Precedent
• 19:15 Journalist Protections: Privacy Protection Act of 1980
• 22:30 Landmark Protections: NYT v. United States (Pentagon Papers)
• 23:00 Outro