News & Analysis
The latest news and analysis from PEN America’s research and advocacy.
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Press Releases • Commentary
PEN America Urges Tennessee Gov. Lee to Reject Legislation that Would Subject Publishers and Book Distributors to Criminal Penalties for ‘Obscene Materials’ Sent to Public Schools
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program, issued the following comments on the bill: "Regardless of what the supporters of this law say, it serves little… More
As China Shows Again Its Willingness to Silence Dissenting Voices Beyond its Borders, PEN America Welcomes US Government Action to Challenge Repression on US Soil
"Today's action by the Department of Justice sends a vital message that the long arm of authoritarianism will not go unchallenged. It is essential that democratic governments forcefully defend… More
PEN America Condemns Montana Bill Banning TIkTok as a Risk to Free Expression Online
“Banning TikTok deprives all Montanans of a platform they use to access news, share creative endeavors, and grow their businesses, and creates a significant risk of continued government incursion… More
Suppressing Words and History Harms the Rising Generation
"Over the past 18 months, PEN America has recorded the removal of hundreds of books that touch on race and racism and books that include characters of color from… More
118 Former Higher Education Presidents Launch Initiative to Combat Educational Censorship
“College campuses are the essential training grounds where the next generation is equipped with the tools to inhabit, strengthen and sustain our democracy,” said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN… More
Scheduled Vote to Close Library Sends an Alarming Message that Government Can Choose What People Read
Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read project at PEN America, issued the following statement: “The proposal to close the Llano library system is not only an end-run to avoid… More
PEN America Condemns Online Abuse Campaign to Silence Dalit Author Thenmozhi Soundarara
“The attacks against author Thenmozhi Soundararajan and her allies are intended to drive voices from the public square and prevent them from being heard, which stifles free expression and… More
PEN America, in Partnership with Bard College, Establishes Digital Archive to Preserve Independent Reporting by Russian Journalists During Vladimir Putin’s Rule
“Accountability and accurate narrative depend on reliable witnesses who stand against propaganda efforts to reinterpret the past. Brave, determined independent journalists have worked under tremendous constraints on press freedom… More
PEN America Condemns 14-Year Sentence Handed Down to Freedom to Write Honoree Xu Zhiyong
“This 14-year sentence is a shocking and desperate act from the state to hide Xu Zhiyong from the people of China and the world. But his writing lives on… More
India Rewrites its Past in School Textbooks to Suit Ruling Party’s Worldview
“The Modi government’s educational censorship via the rewriting of school textbooks is alarming,” said Nadine Farid Johnson, Managing Director of PEN America Washington and Free Expression Programs. “Coming on… More