Can YouTubers actually hold police accountable?
From NO SUCH THING by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
May 27, 2026 · 1h 0m · Episode 66
About this episode
The episode explores the history and influence of First Amendment auditors who film police interactions, featuring insights from notable guests.
Today’s episode was inspired by a question from a listener who goes by Santa: What’s the deal with First Amendment auditors? We trace the history of people who film the police, from the Black Panther Party to Berkeley Copwatch and the rise of auditor culture on YouTube. We also explore the methods and influence of some of the movement’s biggest creators, from Philip Turner (The Battousai) to Jeff Gray of HonorYourOath Civil Rights Investigations and Christopher Ruff (Direct D) . Our guests are Robert Klemko , an investigative journalist at ESPN who previously reported on auditors and cop watchers for The Washington Post , and Dale Hiller, creator of the LackLuster YouTube channel and co-founder of Attorney Shield . If you’re new here, listen to episode 28: Inside the violent world of online pedophile hunters and check out our NST starter pack . Check out our newsletter at nosuchthing.show and follow us on Instagram @nosuchthing.show . Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (860) 325-0286 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Guests: Robert Klemko, Dale Hiller
Topics covered
- First Amendment auditors
- police accountability
- YouTube culture
- civil rights
- investigative journalism
Keywords
- First Amendment
- police
- YouTube
- auditors
- civil rights
- investigative journalism
- Robert Klemko
- Dale Hiller
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ESPN, The Washington Post, LackLuster, Attorney Shield, YouTube, Black Panther Party, Berkeley Copwatch
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