2024: The Year of Diminished Free Speech on College Campuses

2024 was the worst year ever for campus free speech. Can we make 2025 better? 🔗

Campus restrictions on speech are now the worst ever recorded. And professors claim self censorship has gotten four times worse than it was even during the McCarthy era.

2024 has been marked as the worst year for free speech on college campuses in the United States, surpassing the record set in 2023. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) reported a significant rise in attempts to silence speakers, with 164 deplatforming incidents logged this year. Notably, Georgetown University led these attempts, followed by Harvard and UC Berkeley. A faculty survey highlighted alarming levels of self-censorship, with 35% of faculty admitting to suppressing their expression, a stark increase from the McCarthy era. Despite these challenges, some institutions are beginning to reject restrictive political statements and embrace free speech principles, indicating a potential for improvement in 2025.

What organization tracks free speech incidents on campuses?

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) tracks incidents of free speech on college campuses through its Campus Deplatforming Database.

Which university had the most deplatforming attempts in 2024?

Georgetown University had the highest number of deplatforming attempts in 2024, with 43 incidents reported.

How does self-censorship among faculty in 2024 compare to the McCarthy era?

Self-censorship among faculty in 2024 is reported to be four times worse than during the peak of the McCarthy era, with 35% of faculty admitting to suppressing their expression.