Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression: Inside the April 8, 2026 #SpeechMatters Conference

​The UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement’s eighth annual #SpeechMatters conference will examine threats to First Amendment freedoms in higher education on April 8, 2026. The virtual event features legal experts, journalists, artists, and university leaders discussing press freedom, artistic expression, campus speech, academic freedom, and government pressure on universities and platforms. Convened by UC President James B. Milliken and Executive Director Michelle Deutchman, the conference positions free expression as essential infrastructure for democratic engagement and civic learning. It aims to advance NCDD’s mission by examining how threats to free speech affect constructive conversation and recognizing the need for institutional protections enabling people to speak, question, create, and engage without fear of retaliation.

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The UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement is hosting its eighth annual #SpeechMatters conference on April 8, 2026, examining "Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression" as cracks appear in democratic institutions including colleges and universities. The virtual conference brings together legal and academic experts, journalists, artists, and activists to address challenges to First Amendment freedoms that serve as the bedrock of higher education and explore collaborative approaches to meeting this challenging moment. University of California President James B. Milliken and Executive Director Michelle Deutchman will open the event, which features four panel sessions addressing press freedom, artistic expression, campus speech, academic freedom, and government pressure on private institutions to modify policies in response to political demands.

The conference agenda addresses urgent threats to free expression across multiple domains. The opening panel "Press under Pressure: Current Threats to Journalistic Inquiry" examines how journalists navigate legal threats and government retaliation, featuring David Bauder from Associated Press, Mike Hiestand from Student Press Law Center, and Frank LoMonte from CNN, moderated by Syracuse University Professor Margaret Talev. "Artistic Expression in an Age of Political Pressure" explores recent controversies including suspensions of critical voices and attacks on museums, examining civic implications of silencing critics and art's power to foster understanding, with Elizabeth Larison from National Coalition Against Censorship and artist-activist Taravat Talepasand. UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman discuss campus speech and academic freedom trends in the annual "Ask the Experts" session. The final panel on "Jawboning, Censorship and the First Amendment" features Georgetown Professor David Cole, Association of American Universities' Kate Hudson, and Stanford's Daphne Keller examining government officials' attempts to pressure universities, social media platforms, and other private actors into policy modifications.

The conference addresses critical questions for higher education institutions navigating pressures that threaten academic freedom, student press independence, and artistic expression. By examining how governmental pressure, political retaliation, and cultural conflicts impact universities' ability to serve as spaces for inquiry, dissent, and creative exploration, the Center positions free expression as essential infrastructure for democratic engagement and civic learning. For dialogue and deliberation practitioners, the conference offers insights into how threats to free speech affect conditions for constructive conversation, as chilling effects on expression can undermine the open inquiry necessary for meaningful dialogue across differences. The focus on protecting independent press, artistic dissent, and academic freedom reflects understanding that democratic participation requires institutional protections enabling people to speak, question, create, and engage without fear of retaliation.
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To register for the April 8, 2026 #SpeechMatters conference on preserving pillars of free expression, visit https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/speechmatters2026/