
Episode 135: Protecting Free Speech in Journalism with Susan Rinkunas, Sammie Smylie, Nitish Pahwa and Matt Shuham
From OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East by Writers Guild of America East
January 8, 2026 · 1h 4m · Season 19 · Episode 6
About this episode
The episode discusses the threats faced by journalists in the US and the importance of protecting journalism.
In the final part of OnWriting's series on protecting free speech, journalists Sammie Smylie , Nitish Pahwa , Matt Shuham and join moderator and journalist Susan Rinkunas to discuss the escalating threats faced by journalists in the US, why it's so critical to fight back to protect journalism that informs the public and holds power accountable, and more. Sammie Smylie is a state education reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, a leader in the Civic News Guild with the WGAE, and a WGAE Council Member for Online Media. Nitish Pahwa is a business and technology journalist at Slate, and a member of the WGAE Council representing Online Media. Matt Shuham is a senior reporter at the HuffPost National Desk, helped organize the Talking Points Memo staff union with the WGAE, and currently a member of the HuffPost Union's bargaining committee. Susan Rinkunas is co-founder of Autonomy News, a contributing writer at Jezebel, and an independent journalist covering politics, reproductive health, and abortion access. She is also a member of the WGAE Council, representing Online Media. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media…
People in this episode
Host: Molly Beer
Guests: Susan Rinkunas, Sammie Smylie, Nitish Pahwa, Matt Shuham
Topics covered
- free speech
- journalism
- media accountability
Keywords
- journalism
- threats
- public accountability
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Protecting Free Speech in Journalism
Places: US
More episodes of OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
- Episode 134: Screenwriter Roundtable with David Koepp, Craig Brewer and Kirt Gunn · December 24, 2025 · 53 min
- Episode 133: Protecting Free Speech in Late Night with Josh Gondelman, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski and Sasha Stewart · December 4, 2025 · 46 min
- Episode 132: Protecting Free Speech in Public Broadcasting with June Thiele, Peter Miller, Jill Cozza-Turner, and Rupeshi Shah Bhat · November 27, 2025 · 50 min
- Episode 131: WGAE AI Task Force Roundtable with Larry J. Cohen, Sarah Montana and A.M. Homes · November 20, 2025 · 1h 4m
- Episode 130: Screenwriter Roundtable with Nia DaCosta, Benny Safdie and Will Tracy · November 13, 2025 · 44 min
- Episode 129: How to Organize a Union with Rez Nemorin, Jessica Schulberg and Leah Gotcsik · August 13, 2025 · 42 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East podcast page.