What Is Free Speech For?

Author: Titley, Gavan (Maynooth University)

Media studies

Published on 24 November 2026 by Bristol University Press in the United Kingdom as part of 'the What Is It For?' series.

Paperback / softback | 188 pages, Not illustrated
203 x 127

Free speech drives conflicts about who speaks, but who is heard is rarely considered. As digital media push deeper into our lives, free speech involves not only limits, but seemingly limitless communication, transforming what is at stake on tech platforms and in political protests, in universities and media debate. What Is Free Speech For? examines the gap between abstract discussions of free speech and communication in democracies with abundant speech but very little listening. It shows how free speech is used and abused today and why it is essential to human flourishing.