Spicer tries to press reset at the podium in his first full-fledged White House briefing, but his boss repeats his “alternative fact”— the New York Times, above the fold, calls it a ‘lie’—about his electoral vote. -Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director

DARE: Daily Alert on Rights and Expression

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

U.S.

Sean Spicer Reboots His Relationship With the Press
At his first formal briefing, Sean Spicer, the new White House press secretary, told reporters here that his administration sometimes does “the right thing,” adding: “And it would be nice, once in a while, for someone just to report it straight up.”
NEW YORK TIMES

Donald Trump Reinstates Ronald Reagan’s Abortion ‘Global Gag Rule’
In one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump has reinstated a federal ban on U.S. funding for international health organizations that counsel women on family planning options that include abortion.
HUFFINGTON POST

Two journalists covering inauguration protests face felony riot charges
The journalists, who were there on assignment, are both charged with the most serious level of offense under the District of Columbia’s law against rioting. They could also each be fined up to $25,000 if convicted.
THE GUARDIAN

Trump Promotes Neutrality Opponent Ajit Pai to Lead FCC
In 2015, he voted against the agency’s net neutrality regulations, which mandated that cable, cellphone and other telecom companies should providing internet service like a public utility, without favoring particular providers over others.
NBC NEWS

Trump moves to put his own stamp on Voice of America
President Donald Trump on Monday dispatched two aides to scope out the studios of Voice of America, heightening concerns among some longtime staffers that Trump may quickly put his stamp on the broadcasting arm that has long pushed U.S. democratic ideals across the world.
POLITICO

 
Global

Cameroon has shut down the internet in its English-speaking regions
Internet connections have been completely shut down in the northwest and southwest of Cameroon, its two main English-speaking regions as a long drawn out mass protest against marginalization by the French-speaking led government persists.
QUARTZ

Hungarian NGOs prepare for government crackdown
Viktor Orban’s government has denounced NGOs funded by George Soros for trying to “illegitimately” influence political life. The groups are gearing up for an assault from politicians who once saw them quite differently.
DEUTSCHE WELLE

Free Speech Advocates Protest Myanmar Telecom Law
Writers, journalists and activists in Myanmar are protesting a controversial law that has been increasingly used to prosecute critics for online defamation.
VOICE OF AMERICA

Sorry, American journalists: Canada is no press freedom paradise
Despite the differences between Canada’s prime minister and the President Trump, press freedom in Canada faces threats from the state that are every bit as severe as those in the United States.
THE HILL

Defending Free Speech in ASEAN
Before me lies the latest issue of the Mekong Review, which includes an interview with the Thai journalist Thaweeporn Kummetha, of the online newspaper Prachatai. In a few words she explains exactly what I mean by the “right of others to listen.”
THE DIPLOMAT

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]