In this episode, Danielle Coffey of the News Media Alliance sits down with Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin for a fireside chat on press freedom, recorded in the wake of a week that saw reporters from across the political spectrum pushed out of a Pentagon briefing. Raskin reflects on what he sees as a broader pattern of pressure on institutions, from law firms to universities to newsrooms, and argues that standing together across ideological lines is the most effective response. He also discusses the bipartisan Press Act and reporter’s shield law, his hopes for it as Judiciary Committee chair if the House flips, and why he believes protecting journalists’ sources is essential at the federal level.

The conversation also turns to artificial intelligence and how Congress might regulate it, government ethics and oversight, and Raskin’s take on the state of constitutional norms in Washington. He closes by describing what he sees as the scale of the challenge ahead for his committee, from corruption investigations to defending First Amendment protections more broadly.