(NEW YORK)— In response to reporting that a half dozen prominent journalists who had covered Elon Musk were suspended from Twitter on Thursday, PEN America issued the following statement from Summer Lopez, chief program officer for Free Expression programs:
”It’s alarming but unfortunately not so surprising to see Musk silencing journalists or creating new content regulation rules on a whim, based purely on what he finds inconvenient for him. He has from the start seemed to treat Twitter more like a personal fiefdom than a global public square. Musk can talk about standing for free speech all he wants, but this should make it clear to everyone that what he’s doing is quite the opposite. Twitter should reverse these suspensions and not shut down journalists for doing their jobs.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057