Essays, Journalism, Opinion Editorials, and Podcasts
In addition to conducting academic research, I enjoy research and writing projects that transcend the boundaries of the academic / non-academic world and mobilize knowledge outside of the academy.
Much of this work focuses on issues of free expression, academic freedom, public accountability and transparency, the state of public discourse, and the right to know. I also have some experience in journalism, where I've expanded the reach and versatility of my research and writing.
I'm an occasional blogger at the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, occasional contributor to Sault This Week, publisher of Substack newsletter focused on my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, and creator and host of two different podcasts (see below for podcast links).
You can find a selected assortment of my knowledge mobilization below, including podcasts and published work. These links don't include my newsletter (you can see those posts in the link above).
Podcasts
Free Expression: The Future of a Fundamental Freedom
This podcast series is an intimate look at one of the most controversial topics in Canadian public discourse at the moment: free expression. This project is hosted by the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta, with host Dax D'Orazio.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify, the first season of the podcast includes 11 episodes featuring in-depth interviews with a range of legal academics and experts. Blending academic insight with current affairs, the podcast will appeal to anyone interested in the law of free expression, and especially those wanting to make sense of contemporary politics.
The series addresses a number of important questions, including: Why is free expression so important for democratic societies? When can a state or community legitimately restrict expression? And why has debate about free expression become so polarized on university campuses and in society more broadly?
Season 2 of this podcast was recently released and you can read about it HERE.
Extremism, Polarization, and the Future of Democracy
This podcast mini-series is comprised of seven episodes, six of which feature an in-depth interview with an expert. The series includes an introduction, and the first substantive episode features an interview with journalist and filmmaker Daniel Lombroso (The New Yorker).
The podcast was inspired by a course taught by D'Orazio in 2022, a third-year political theory course focused on the twin phenomena of extremism and polarization. Students read articles and watched documentaries, and then submitted questions in response to the material. Using these questions, common themes were found and scripts were created for interviewing the featured authors and filmmakers. This allowed for students to be included in the process of creating a podcast and to co-produce knowledge.
The series grapples with timely issues related to public discourse and will appeal to listeners outside of the academy.
You can read an article about the podcast in University AffairsHERE.