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The Free Press

The Free Press Investigates brings you gripping, deeply reported stories you can't find anywhere else—and the investigations others won’t dare to cover. Our new series, Spiral: Murder in Detroit drops soon. Until then, listen to Season 1: The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling

Host Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K. Rowling to respond to pushback from some of her critics. The two also discuss the difficulty of discernment—why it can be so hard to know what’s right.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 7. What If You're Wrong?

Transgender fans of Harry Potter share their criticism of J.K. Rowling—and the experiences that inform their views.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, Megan Phelps-Roper, and Candace Mittel Kahn, with special thanks to Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 6. Natalie and Noah

After years of observing the conflict between advocates for trans rights and women’s rights, J.K. Rowling weighs in.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 5. The Tweets

The movement for trans rights hits its stride in the early 2010s, but encounters fierce resistance from an unexpected source. J.K. Rowling watches the battle unfold with mounting unease.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 4. TERF Wars

The early days of the internet collide with the feverish fandom of “Harry Potter,” and a sprawling, global community emerges. But the hopefulness of this new technology brings with it the darker impulses of human nature.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 3. A New Pyre

As "Harry Potter" becomes an international phenomenon, it coincides with the culture wars of the 1990s. In the backlash from Christians across America, author J.K. Rowling is accused of mainstreaming witchcraft and poisoning children’s minds.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 2. Burn The Witch

Host Megan Phelps-Roper writes a letter to J.K. Rowling—and receives a surprising invitation in reply: the opportunity for an intimate conversation in Rowling’s Scottish home.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 1. Plotted In Darkness

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling premieres Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Learn more
Read an essay by host Megan Phelps-Roper 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | 7. What If You're Wrong?

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