PEN America: ICE Arrest of Activist for Reciting Poem Criticizing Immigration Policy Raises “Serious Concern”
PEN America raises alarm that ICE’s arrest of student and activist Jose Bello—less than 36 hours after Bello publicly recited a poem criticizing the immigration system—over his free speech rights and… More
Reports that Twitter Will Begin to Label Tweets From Political Figures Enforces Platform’s Policies, Fosters Public Access to Unfiltered Information
Policy appears to strike a careful balance in responding to the dual imperative of enforcing the platform's own policies about abusive behavior while also protecting the public's right to… More
PEN America Calls on Trump Administration to Open Migrant Camps to Journalists’ Scrutiny
“It is shocking that the American public largely must learn about the dangerous conditions at these detention centers not through reporters being able to cover the news, but through… More
Supreme Court Ruling in Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck Lays Down Marker on Questions of Liability of Private Acts for First Amendment Violations
The Supreme Court ruling in Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck could have implications for questions of company liability for the content shared on media platforms. At a moment… More
PEN America Recognizes Andrew Yang’s Campaign Proposal to Invest in Local Journalism
PEN America’s Washington Director Thomas O. Melia said: “Journalism, and local journalism in particular, is an asset to democracy. In the struggle to preserve and support this fundamental institution,… More
Miami City Commission’s Ending “One-Way Cultural Exchange” with Cuba an Absurd Approach to Protesting Artistic Repression
Restricting cultural exchange and artistic expression is an absurd way to address the repressive environment for artistic freedom in Cuba. The Miami City Commission is right to be outraged… More
PEN America Applauds Biden for Rejecting Illicit Campaign Tactics and Disinformation in Presidential Bid
PEN America applauds the announcement by former Vice President Joseph Biden to eschew the use of illicit campaign tactics and disinformation in his 2020 presidential bid. The Biden campaign has… More
PEN America LA Awarded California Arts Council “Local Impact” Grant for Literary Mentorship Program
“Emerging Voices is grateful to receive support from the California Arts Council, allowing us to continue our decades-long mission to enrich and diversify the literary community in Los Angeles… More
PEN America Urges Illinois Prison Officials to Reverse ‘Troubling’ Decision to Remove 200+ Books in a Prison Library
"The fact that these removed books deal primarily with contemporary racial issues is, unfortunately, not a surprise to us,” said James Tager, Deputy Director of Free Expression Research and… More
U.S. Government’s New ‘Extreme Vetting’ Policy for Visa Applicants May Curtail Free Expression Online, Says PEN America
“The U.S. government’s new policy is unlikely to provide any real security benefit and instead conjures up the way authoritarian governments seek to limit the free exchange of ideas,”… More