Voices in Action: Measuring Impact, Defending Freedom, and Breaking the Silence

December 17, 2025

In today’s newsletter:

• Viewer Impact Survey.

• Protect Free Speech & Resistance (The Intercept) | FSTV Speaks

• Breaking the Silence on Female Genital Mutilation | Generation Girl Code

• “Uncomfortable Conversations” Training | Women’s March

• FSTV Thanks YOU!

Support FSTV by Taking This Survey!

We know that not everyone is in a position to donate during this Winter Pledge Drive. But there’s another powerful way you can support Free Speech TV that costs nothing at all: share your perspective.

FSTV’s Viewer Impact Survey is open now, and your anonymous responses help shape the coverage, storytelling, and community programming we bring to the air. 

By taking just a few minutes to tell us who you are and what issues matter most to you, you’re strengthening the future of independent, people-powered media.

Once you complete the survey, you’ll receive a discount code for the merchandise on our online store (coming soon)!

This memo isn’t about protecting communities—it’s about protecting Trump and his billionaire friends by punishing our free speech. It gives the IRS power to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits and newsrooms labeled “anti-American,” “anti-capitalist,” or “anti-Christian”—groups Trump claims are “financing political violence or domestic terrorism.” We know exactly who’s in the crosshairs: organizations like FSTV and other defenders of political resistance. We won’t back down. We’ll double down. And with your support, we can push back.

Female genital mutilation is not just a cut. It is a lifelong wound carried across generations. In communities around the world, it is labeled as tradition, culture, or purity. But behind the language is trauma that millions of girls never choose. On the season finale of Generation Girl Code, we break the silence around FGM, a practice documented in 92 countries and affecting more than 230 million women and girls. Most undergo the procedure between the ages of five and nine. Some are cut before their first birthday. We explore the cultural pressures that keep the practice alive, the four types of FGM defined by the World Health Organization, and the devastating immediate and long-term consequences. From medical complications to psychological trauma, the impact is real, lasting, and urgent.

Having tough political talks with MAGA family members can feel overwhelming, especially during the holidays. This training offers practical tools for approaching those moments with curiosity, grounding, and narrative strategy, helping you protect your peace, lower the temperature, and create space for real human connection - even when you disagree.

P.S. Still searching for a meaningful gift for that MAGA relative? Consider giving in their honor to Free Speech TV. Support independent media that challenges propaganda and helps people reconnect with truth, context, and critical thinking.

Thank You!

In a moment when so many people are stretched thin, we want to pause and say this clearly and sincerely: thank you.

We ended our pledge drive last Friday, having raised $140,000 toward our $200,000 goal. When we shared that we were still behind, you answered the call. Because of everyone who showed up - we closed the drive at $162,000. 

This Winter Pledge Drive has been powered entirely by people like you - teachers, caregivers, parents, retirees, and working folks who believe independent media is worth protecting. No billionaire backers, just a community choosing to show up for one another in difficult times.

If you’re feeling the economic crunch right now, you aren’t alone. We know that many in our community are navigating rising costs, tight budgets, and hard choices. Your support, whether it was a donation, a kind message, or simply tuning in, means more than we can say.

Thank you for showing up for Free Speech TV. We’re deeply grateful to be in community with you.