# Multimedia 

Multimedia 

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Cato Weekly Podcast • January 11, 2022 

# Squelching Speech and ‘Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theater’ 

It’s a [tired old phrase meant to justify all manner of speech restrictions](https://avanan.url-protection.com/v1/url?o=https%3A//www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/shouting-fire-crowded-theater-speech-regulation/621151/&g=MzY4MzQxMDc5NzllYzNiYQ==&h=ZGQwYjdiMTUzODg0ZmYzMDcyMjY3ZmUxNTcwYWYzZjM1MzMzYzg2ODg4Y2U4ODk0YjIxZDNkMDkxMjI3MzE0Mw==&p=YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YXZhbmFuOm86MWI4OGE3ZDEyYzdlMzA3OTg1ZjAwNjljNmY4ZDkzZDM6djE6aDpO). People using it should at least understand what it means. Author [Jeff Kosseff](https://avanan.url-protection.com/v1/url?o=https%3A//www.jeffkosseff.com&g=OWE3NTk5YzViZDc4NzM3Ng==&h=YjU2YzczZjMyYzVlOWYwMDMwZmVjZTg4MWMzZDM2MDhhNmU0ZmNjNmY2Y2MyOTI4ZTEwYjNmZTYwY2Y1MmUwNA==&p=YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YXZhbmFuOm86MWI4OGE3ZDEyYzdlMzA3OTg1ZjAwNjljNmY4ZDkzZDM6djE6aDpO) evaluates some of the political state of play over the freedom of speech online.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

##### Featuring 

![Jeff Kosseff cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2022-06/jeff-kosseff-cropped.jpg?itok=i1LzDUey) 

##### Jeff Kosseff 

Author and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, The Future of Free Speech

[![Square face shot of Caleb O. Brown.](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/cbrown_sq.jpg?itok=zSWLm8kR)](/people/caleb-o-brown) 

##### [Caleb O. Brown](/people/caleb-o-brown)

Former Director of Multimedia, Host and Executive Producer, *Cato Daily Podcast*, Cato Institute