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Some #WomenBoycottTwitter after actress Rose McGowan has her account temporarily blocked amid growing outrage at Hollywood’s silence over sexual assault of women; others reject the boycott as silencing. New York Times editor says he polices his reporters on Twitter with the view they shouldn’t say anything on social media they couldn’t say in the newspaper. PEN America launches its new in-depth report Faking News: Fraudulent News and the Fight for Truth and its strategies for carriers and consumers to combat fraudulent news with a discussion at the Newseum that will be live streamed here. – Dru Menaker, Chief Operating Officer

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

#WomenBoycottTwitter, Supporting Rose McGowan
Critics say Twitter’s decision to suspend Ms. McGowan’s account highlights a wider issue of curbing abuse online, especially toward women. Twitter has struggled in the past to find a balance in moderating content. It has tried to maintain free speech, but those efforts have sometimes allowed trolls to send abuse to other users.
NEW YORK TIMES

New York Times to Tighten Rules for Reporters on Social Media
“I’ve spent full days policing our social media,” NYT Editor Dean Baquet told moderator and media writer Jim Rutenberg. He added that he had personally chided individual reporters and was sick of playing traffic cop online.
THE WRAP

As Trump slams media, an Indiana lawmaker has drafted a bill to license journalists
This is only the latest in a long line of efforts by Lucas to seek publicity or bring attention to hot-button issues on social media. His proposal to license journalists is drawing criticism from free press advocates, who called the measure unconstitutional and expressed concerns about efforts to undermine the media’s credibility.
INDY STAR

Donald Trump to Speak at Hate Group’s Annual Event, a First for a President
It is not clear what topic Trump will address during his speech, but the Family Research Council’s overwhelmingly negative attitude towards the LGBTQ community has prompted questions about whether a president should be attending a day of glorified hate speech.
NEWSWEEK

Howard Cheerleaders Add Voices to the Anthem Debate by Taking a Knee
Much discussion has focused on N.F.L. players who have knelt during the anthem to protest what they see as systemic racism. With a few exceptions, the protests have not spread to the college game. Since early last season, however, Howard’s cheerleaders have performed their own protest.
NEW YORK TIMES

FCC head silent on Trump comment about pulling broadcast licenses
Trump’s remarks that threatened to muzzle the media and FCC head Ajit Pai’s strong support for press freedoms could conflict as Pai mounts ambitious plans to overhaul federal communications regulations. Pai told the U.S. Congress he did not agree with Trump when he said that “the media is the enemy of the American people.”
REUTERS

 
Global

Busan film festival opens with freedom of speech plea
Internationally acclaimed South Korean director Shin Su-Won, whose thriller “Glass Garden” opened the 10-day Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), said restrictions on expression – and on artists – “should never happen”. “Freedom of speech should not be trampled upon for any reason whatsoever,” said Shin.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Bolivian lawmakers exclude journalists from legislative article penalizing poor professional practice
The National Press Association issued a statement saying that the approval of such an article “would have dire consequences in the journalistic field, where self-censorship would be imposed, while all Bolivian citizens would be subject to prior censorship in the diffusion of ideas and opinions.”
JOURNALISM IN THE AMERICAS

China’s Great Firewall Grows Higher Ahead of Party Congress
As security clamps down ahead of the national congress, many circumvention tools used to view content and social media on blocked overseas sites seem to be failing. According to a post by free speech activist Xiucai Jianghu, many are increasingly unable to access sites like Twitter and Facebook using VPNs.
RADIO FREE ASIA

India’s Film Certification Board Cuts ‘Sexy’ From ‘Durga’
Though the CBFC did not state reasons for the abbreviation of the title, it is clear that it is an appeasement of perceived hurt of religious sentiments. Right-wing Hindu fanatics have trolled the film’s director Sasidharan and lead actress Rajshri Deshpande, who plays the titular Durga, on social media.
VARIETY

DARE is a project of PEN America’s #LouderTogether campaign, bringing you a daily-curated roundup of the most important free expression-related news from the U.S. and abroad. Send your feedback and story suggestions to [email protected]