Pledging to “drain the swamp” president-elect Trump may also drain the pool. The White House press pool, that is. Threatening to buck precedent that dates back to FDR, team Trump has left reporters guessing whether they’ll have access to Trump’s every move. —Suzanne Nossel, PEN America

 

DARE: Daily Alert on Rights and Expression

PEN America’s take on today’s most pressing threats to free expression

U.S.

Press Groups Urge Trump To Commit To Press Access As President-Elect
More than a dozen press advocacy organizations urged President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to allow a “protective pool” of reporters to follow him outside Trump Tower and report on his whereabouts for the broader press corps ― and, most importantly, the public.
HUFFINGTON POST

Trump isn’t president yet, but he’s already at war with the New York Times
Since his election to the world’s most powerful office last week, Trump has tweeted 23 times (as of this writing); seven of those digital dispatches — 30 percent — have been shots at the Times or its reporting.
THE WASHINGTON POST

Megyn Kelly: What Donald Trump Did To Me Has Real Implications
“I thought it was important to document as a historical record what it was like to be on the receiving end of his behavior,” she said of her new book. “And the reason, among others, is as a First Amendment issue what Donald Trump did to me has real implications.”
REAL CLEAR POLITICS

Banned Alt-Right Twitter Users Flee to Invite-Only, Press-Free Safe Space
High-profile Trump-supporting Twitter users who were banned from the site for “targeted abuse and harassment” on Tuesday took to the invite-only, alt-right-heavy social network gab.ai on Wednesday to air their grievances and decry what they called censorship.
THE DAILY BEAST

How to Report Under Authoritarianism
American journalists have long faced challenges reporters in the U.S. never had to deal with being targeted on a broad scale by the President. But with the election of Donald Trump that could change.
TIME

 
Global

Journalists urge Canada to adopt ‘shield law’ to protect sources
Journalists offered three simple recommendations to the federal government during a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, including the adoption of a press shield law ensuring journalists not be made to disclose their confidential sources.
THE STAR

Australian journalist calls hate speech law an attack on free speech that should be repealed
The journalist Peter Greste says the law prohibiting insulting or offending people based on their race should be repealed, arguing it chips away at freedom of speech.
THE GUARDIAN

China censors search results for Kim Jong Un’s nickname
Internet firms Baidu and Weibo are censoring a widely-used disparaging nickname for the North Korean leader, poking fun at his girth, reports suggest. The censorship comes as China reiterates its “internet sovereignty.”
DEUTSCHE WELLE

Thai Website Shutdowns Soar After King’s Death
Thai authorities cracking down on online insults to the royal family following the recent death of their king pressed Google and Facebook for help as they shut down 1,300-plus websites last month — more than they had in the previous five years combined.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

PEN America’s DARE brings you a daily curated round-up of the most important free expression-related stories from around the web. Please send your feedback and story suggestions to [email protected]