{"podcast":{"title":"Book Club with Michael Smerconish","slug":"book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437","podcast_index_feed_id":4372437,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/Xjj1yH0V","website_url":"https://www.siriusxm.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/8436e3c1-2479-4466-ac48-fa58259960bb/9ed196e7-928b-4e34-8cad-cd044ed64d43/3000x3000/podcast-20on-20dark-6.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"SiriusXM","episode_count":543,"summary":"Reading for Independent Minds. Unlike many author interviews, if Michael didn't actually read the book, you won't hear about it. If he read it, you'll hear it and you'll love it. Insights into a wide range of topics, including many titles you've probably never heard of. The perfect book is just one listen away.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437"},"episode":{"title":"Jonathan Zimmerman: \"Free Speech - And Why You Should Give A Damn\"","slug":"jonathan-zimmerman-free-speech-and-why-you-should-give-a-damn","published_at":"2026-04-23T12:39:20+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/jonathan-zimmerman-free-speech-and-why-you-should-give-a-damn","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437","url":"https://www.siriusxm.com","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/sxm.simplecastaudio.com/e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24/episodes/d8785521-dece-4f45-a0db-b854ca1748e6/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24&awEpisodeId=d8785521-dece-4f45-a0db-b854ca1748e6&feed=Xjj1yH0V","summary":"Michael Smerconish speaks with University of Pennsylvania historian Jonathan Zimmerman about \"Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn,\" co-authored with Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Signe Wilkinson. They explore how free speech—once a cornerstone of liberal activism—has become politically polarized, with conservatives now claiming its mantle. Zimmerman argues that cultural shifts, campus controversies, and the rise of “cancel culture” have reshaped public discourse, often discouraging open debate. The conversation examines the tension between free speech and social justice, the impact of self-censorship, and why reclaiming robust dialogue is essential to addressing inequality. Original air date 8 April 2021. The book was published on 1 April 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.","meta_description":"Michael Smerconish speaks with University of Pennsylvania historian Jonathan Zimmerman about \"Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn,\" co-authored wi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":870,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/episodes/jonathan-zimmerman-free-speech-and-why-you-should-give-a-damn/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/jonathan-zimmerman-free-speech-and-why-you-should-give-a-damn.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}